Instinct
by QueenKathofRine
Summary: Because parents were supposed to just know...right? T for language because I am an unpredictable and edgy weenie
1. Storm Before the Calm

When the dust had settled and cleared, all was peaceful. That is, when the mighty, stoic King of the Koopas had only enough mental capacity to dive headfirst into the mountain of paperwork on his desk, and ignore any sounds that made their way through the winding halls from where they- _well, what else would one call them?-_ resided. This was too much- _they_ were too much. Bowser hadn't been a quiet kid himself, but every time he ventured toward the opposite wing to at least check up on that unruly band of children, he was shortly met with a cacophony of dissonant voices. Fighting about what was anyone's guess, but as his headache grew, his resolve diminished, and each time he only made it about halfway before returning to his work yet again.

He sighed and clicked his pen in annoyance, pushing the partially filled-out form to the side. He really should make more of an effort. _But then again, maybe Kamek could-No._ He stopped himself. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to add another task to the old bat's laundry list-or else he'd be getting an earful from him until the day he died. Besides, Kamek already had his hands full dealing with his son, and pushing more children on him would likely do nothing to improve his already sour disposition.

His mind effectively made up, he stood, almost too quickly to notice the pit that had gradually been forming in his stomach. He inhaled sharply, and to his dismay, the pain expanded.

He eyed the bathroom momentarily in confusion. _I haven't eaten...all day..._ His son. Something was wrong. Right? He hadn't had enough time to become intimately familiar with this feeling, but if Kamek had ever payed him any compliment, it was that he always listened to his gut. Or was that an insult? No matter, he would have to repay him in kind later. At the moment, he was consumed with a spontaneous wave of dread, and he soon bolted out of his office towards his son's room.

His initial musings were lost on him as he sped through the oddly silent hallways, nearly bowling over one unfortunate guard who had barely managed to sidestep away. Bowser mumbled a terse apology and asked him to send for Kamek at once, but could not explain as to why he feared the worst before dashing away again.

After what seemed like an eternity, he at last found himself before the door of his child's room, and softly entered to find his son only metaphorically dead to the world; exactly where he had been left hours before. Regaining his bearings, he slowly padded to the makeshift cot and plopped down in relief for approximately two seconds before he decided he had not been fully alleviated. He gingerly peeled back the numerous layers encasing his son before gently picking him up. He held his breath as his son stirred briefly before a squeaky yawn pulled the infant back into his hibernation. Unsure of what to do with himself now, and still feeling rather foolish at having worked himself into a panic over nothing, he ultimately decided to savor the moment. They had become rather sparse in the previous weeks since he had become busy attending to his administrative duties and...well... _them._ There was that word again, why was it that he-

A small whimper from Junior pulled him out of his thoughts, and he sighed, thankful to keep his mind off of his confliction for the time being. He settled into a nearby chair with his son carefully nestled in the crook of his arm, and shifted him in the hopes that the motion would calm him a bit. Thankfully, Junior was likely too tired to protest much, and quickly fell asleep once again as he made himself comfortable in his new place of rest. Bowser watched him closely, convinced at any minute that his son would surely spontaneously combust, until he also eventually grew too tired to do much more than absentmindedly rock the child in the event that some idiot were to wake him up again.

He exhaled sharply and stared at his stomach expectantly. That's how he felt. Like an idiot. Here he was, cradling his son, nearly breathless after hauling ass through the whole damn castle to get here, and for what? _What the hell was that all about?_ _Was this normal? Was this what it was supposed to feel like?_ He wondered if Kamek had ever experienced anything like this. Though, the thought of Kamek moving that fast for anything made him stifle a laugh. Even so, the small chuckle that permeated the air did little to untangle the knot that had been sitting in his stomach in the midst of all the chaos.

Before he could think more on the matter, a warm blue glow, a soft breeze, and a slight creak of the door effectively announced Kamek's arrival from who knows where. _Speak of the devil._ Bowser softly laughed to himself before ultimately deciding to voice his concerns to Kamek in the hopes that he would impart any advice that may fill the literal pit in his stomach. _If anyone knows anything about this, it'd be him. Maybe I'm overreacting. Perhaps I truly just needed a meal after all..._

His train of thought was broken yet again, this time by a raspy, yet muted screech that had escaped Kamek as he nearly tripped over the afternoon's assortment of random crap while attempting to reach the back of the room in one piece.

Now Bowser had to laugh at that.

He buried his son as deeply as he could back into his fortress of blankets in an attempt to block out as much noise as possible before finally unleashing his barely contained snickers.

Kamek's clumsiness had never failed to be hilarious. He was instantly reminded of the sheer number of times, some impressively spanning all the way back into his own childhood, in which Kamek would trip over seemingly nothing at all, and would, to Bowser's great amusement, flop around on the floor like a fish out of water. Though he knew that Kamek couldn't have possibly enjoyed all of his time plummeting, he never failed to notice the small smile that would inevitably worm its way through his annoyed expression upon eliciting raucous laughter from him time and time again.

The pattern was not to be followed today. As his laughter waned, his cheeky grin and demeanor were soon to follow upon one glance at Kamek's extreme irritation. He immediately sobered and stood before his surrogate father, as he had done many times in the past, nervously shifting his weight as though he were attempting to gauge how much trouble he was in this time. With a low grunt, Kamek motioned for Bowser to follow him out into the hallway, and before he could protest, Kamek had already shuffled carefully back out from whence he came.

Bowser sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before checking on Junior one last time. Upon rearranging his previous haphazard placement of blankets so that all were entirely on or around his child, he allowed a feeling of content to wash over him upon watching Junior sleep peacefully, and for a brief moment, all was well.

Until that realization hit him. _All was well._

He practically slapped himself. Of course Kamek was pissed at him, he had dragged himself likely halfway across the castle for a false alarm. But he had been so sure that it wasn't, and as the uneasiness set in yet again, he wondered how false an alarm it had truly been.

However, he would sort that out hopefully soon, and he couldn't hover over Junior all night, especially with an irate Kamek just outside in the hallway. Swallowing his pride, he turned back and walked towards the door, hesitating in the threshold. With one last look at his son, he finally closed the door, resolved to determine what it was that was troubling him.

Even if he had to sit through a lecture to do it.


	2. Fair Warning

The lecture never came. Bowser wasn't sure what unsettled him more-the feeling in his gut or this deviance from the established norm, but as he walked over to Kamek expecting him to absolutely _unload_ on him only to be met with a jaded expression, well, he just didn't know what to make of it.

 _Was he angry? Tired? Disappointed?_ He didn't know, and he despised every second of it. One could never be too sure with Kamek, and though Bowser never actually cared much (as he told himself) what Kamek's feelings were, he always knew he could expect at best his two cents, and at worst, a speech so long and dull that perhaps only that windbag King of the Mushroom People could rival. But the silence was deafening, and Bowser at least knew that he was confused, and subsequently placed a hand on Kamek's shoulder in a silent plea for him to set everything right, or at the very least to break the tension before he started sputtering excuses like a moron.

Kamek, to his mild disappointment, simply sighed and brushed his hand away. Wordlessly, the two began their aimless journey back through the hallways and away from the tranquility of his son's room, their general lifelessness all the more evident. Bowser chided himself, more than slightly embarrassed by his behavior and Kamek's apparent dismissal. _Some king I am, running to Kamek like this. I'm not a kid anymore, it ain't like I need his help. Damn, I probably look absolutely pathetic._ He debated just abandoning this probably pointless pursuit in an attempt to salvage at least a little bit of his disintegrating dignity, but as his stomach churned in protest, he knew that he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Why? It had been so easy before. To simply slip back into the security of the mundane; to sign his name until the word looked foreign, to occasionally find himself in the comforting presence of his own flesh and blood, away from thoughts that were troubling or difficult. His life had been complex enough, couldn't he go at least one day without worrying about every little nuance? How he would feign laziness or disinterest when he was scared, plain and simple. Scared of failing his kingdom as his biological father had. Scared of this damn feeling in his stomach. Scared to think about what those kids really thought of him-

True to form, Bowser retreated from the thought, but nevertheless decided to remain with Kamek despite his chagrin. He pouted, and inadvertently broke the silence with an indignant snort. _This is way more annoying than I could have imagined._ To his surprise, Kamek responded in kind with a small snort of his own, though it seemed to be more out of amusement than anything else.

"Some things never change, it would seem." Kamek retorted with a hint of fondness in his tone before his irritation won out again. "Unfortunately, my tolerance for your hyperactivity seems to have significantly dwindled over the years. Though, I would like to imagine that you did not ask me to come all this way for nothing, sir?" Kamek paused inquisitively, folding his arms over his chest.

"All this way? You teleported here..." Bowser mumbled, testing to see if Kamek had prepared a speech after all, but when he remained respectfully silent, Bowser took it as his opportunity to explain the situation as quickly and painlessly as possible. "Truthfully, I'm not real sure, I just haven't been myself lately. I guess I just felt like something was off, so I acted without thinking," he summarized.

"Yes, well, it wouldn't have been the first time this month," Kamek muttered to himself, but Bowser was well within earshot. _Man, had he set himself up for that one...wait, this month? Was he talking about-_

"What do you mean by 'off', exactly?" Kamek continued, forcing Bowser to take his comment at face value and move on.

"Don't know. One minute I'm working like usual, the next, my stomach drops without giving me much to go off of. Now, I know I won't exactly be winning any parenting awards any time in the near or distant future, but I ran off to make sure my kid was okay because I really thought that something bad had happened. Come to find out, he's just fine, but here I am, still feeling like nothing I ever do will be enough to shake this crazy funk off of me. I don't understand it."

If Kamek was empathetic, there was no indication. _This is not going at all like I expected._ Bowser found himself oddly at a loss for words and paused in anticipation of the wisdom that never came to fruition. Instead, Kamek opted to stare off into the hazy and distant hallway, causing Bowser to faintly wonder where it was they were even headed before quickly becoming uncomfortable with the returning silence between them. _Perhaps he wanted an apology?_

"Kamek?" Bowser asked hopefully, and received only a barely audible hum in response. Undeterred, Bowser continued. "Sorry for getting you all tangled up in this mess. I didn't mean to scare you-hell, I think I scared myself half to death!" He attempted to lighten the mood, but once again failed to elicit a substantial response from the wizard. "Look, I'm just new to all of this, okay? I just want to know what all of it means because I love my son, but if he doesn't want his old man to go into cardiac arrest before his first birthday, I can't afford to be running laps like this every day. Though you don't seem too keen on helping me out for whatever reason, I was just hoping you'd toss me a damn line here because you like me or something. I'm sorry that I, unlike you, often don't know what the hell is going on," Bowser admitted bitterly.

Once again, Kamek would leave him at a loss for words. "Believe me, I know," he quipped, again a little louder than he had probably intended, but this time, Bowser was determined not to let that sleight slide.

"Where do you get off, thinking you can speak to me that way?" he fumed, and while Kamek winced at his mistake, he didn't seem too remorseful for what he had said, evident by his lack of a reply. This only made Bowser angrier. "What kind of an advisor ARE you anyway? The one time I actually ask for opinion because, like it or not, I've got nowhere else to turn, you use it to brush up on some stand-up routine? Well it ain't funny! If you're just going to be an asshole about it, then get lost and leave me alone before I kick your ass all the way to the end of this hallway!" he shouted, stopping in his tracks to further emphasize his point.

Kamek stopped just as abruptly and turned back to face him, as serious as death. "You know as well as I that I would never wish for any harm or discontent to befall you. I am not unwilling to help you, quite the contrary. Did I not drop everything I was doing for just that reason? I merely worry that this feeling you speak of may very well be self-inflicted, seeing as how you seem to be rather unwilling to assist yourself."

Bowser shot him a puzzled glance, his anger dampened a bit by his curiousity as he waited for Kamek to elaborate. When he did not, Bowser sighed, frustrated. Why did everything have to be a mystery with him? He just wanted this over with. "What's your point, Kamek?" he replied, impatience coating his every word. "Love the introspective twist, but unfortunately, if you're thinking I somehow did this to myself by sitting on my ass and signing papers for a week straight, you must've been-"

"How long has it been since you've visited those children?"

Bowser's words died on his lips, blindsided by the question. _Not this again._ He was met with a sudden desire to leave, to forget he had ever been here and return to the brief serenity his son had provided. He would postpone this forever if he could. His mind raced a mile a minute, but his legs adopted a more leisurely pace as he attempted to walk away from the subject yet again. "I'm not discussing this right now," he hissed through gritted teeth to an exasperated Kamek, who ran forward to block his path. However, he was no match for an annoyed Bowser, who barreled right through him. And he would have kept going, had it not been for Kamek's conviction.

"Your foolish behavior only validates my point, and my fears. I had hoped that you would at least learn that the problems in your life will not simply disappear if you ignore them long enough! Not your feelings, not me, and certainly not the children you've been sequestering off in some room for nearly a month!"

"What about them Kamek? What do you care?" Bowser spat. He wasn't thrilled, but if he was going to be forced to have this conversation, he might as well stand his ground. Unfortunately, Kamek was not about to back down either.

"Why _don't_ you care? Do you not recognize the difference between children and soldiers? Or is it that you refuse to acknowledge the scope of damage your negligence could cause? What is it that you expected to do with them, train them? Rebuild your army perhaps? Clearly you haven't noticed, but these children have been fighting their own battles since they had everything taken away from them. What makes you think they'd help you fight yours?"

"Well what was I SUPPOSED to do? You make it seem as though I should have just left them out there! Is THAT what you want?" Bowser roared.

Kamek softened his expression, his voice tinged with a knowing sadness. "What I want is for you to be at peace with yourself. You must know that you are not responsible for what transpired under your father's reign."

The world stopped moving. The fire that had begun in his stomach rapidly engulfed his entire body, and before he was aware he was speaking at all, unspoken words bubbled up from the depths he had pushed them down into and tumbled out of his mouth. "How could you possibly expect me to be at peace? Have you forgotten who you're talking to? Have you finally become so old that you've forgotten the timeline I'm working with here? I'll spare you the atrocities he committed, along with the epic tales of all the _nothing_ that was done to stop him, and skip to the part where I become the king of a kingdom that hates me, have a kid with someone who then also hated me, and eventually end up here, not even a _year_ later with a group of kids who probably want to run over me in a tank with everything they've likely been through. Did I forget anything?" As he ran out of breath, his motivation fizzled out, and he realized just how exhausted he really was.

"Reason. And perhaps your temper as well." Kamek deadpanned, eliciting a humorless laugh from Bowser, whose anger had been all but spent. "My child, you must forgive me. I had no intention of reopening those wounds, but as you can see, they were poorly mended. I truly believe that if you wish to heal properly, you should begin by healing the rift you've created between you and these children. They've been on their own for long enough."

Bowser groaned. Deep down, he knew that Kamek was right, but what was he supposed to do? He had tried to do the noble thing, but even then he had managed to screw up royally. He had thought himself a hero that day, burying his doubts and fears in heaps upon heaps of excuses, for he had taken them in off of the streets and had given them a home, and when the grandeur of this act of charity finally faded, he had hoped desperately that no one would care enough to see it for what it truly was, an act. For all he had truly done was relocate them, and the tiny, frightened remains of his father's legacy remained as broken as they were when he first found them. Bowser's stomach lurched, and his heart lamented over their predicament, as at least when he had been left with nothing, he had Kamek. And they were stuck with him.

"How am I supposed to do that? What makes you think they'll want to have anything to do with me? No matter which way you slice it, I am the son of the man who destroyed their lives."

"It matters not. They accepted your offer to stay, correct?"

"Of course they did, they had nowhere else to go!"

"They're still quite young, there is no telling how much they truly understand what occurred. If you-"

"Are you saying we should lie to them?" Bowser irritably interjected. "Pretend it never happened? Because frankly, I don't fancy making any more enemies than necessary. And that doesn't sound like an acceptable foundation for a relationship, Kamek. I want to try as much as you do, but some things just can't be fixed!"

Kamek rested a hand on his arm and hummed thoughtfully. "Of course we shouldn't lie to them, that would be a mistake. But what is also a mistake is to deny these children the chance to rebuild their lives on some semblance of solid ground, all because you are afraid of repeating a cycle you have already broken. They may serve as painful reminders of the past, but if you hyperfixate on the world your father left behind, you may miss your opportunity to build them a better one."

Bowser remained silent, unsure of what to say. He wanted to argue, oh did he want so _badly_ to argue that Kamek was mistaken, that everything in his life would inevitably fall apart, just as it always did. But no words came. Instead, he prepared a sarcastic remark to signify his unwillingness to further the conversation, but as he opened his mouth, a loud wail shattered the silence.

Bowser and Kamek jolted at the sudden noise and ran down what remained of the hallway, having ascertained the source to be in the general vicinity.

As they approached the end of the corridor, the sounds of muffled shifting and hushed arguing could be heard on the other side of one door in particular, as if its occupants were making a deliberate effort not to be heard.

Finally taking in his surroundings, Bowser put two and two together and cursed under his breath. _No going back now._ Turning to Kamek, he motioned for him to draw near. "You're going to have to help me, okay?" he practically pleaded.

Kamek gave him a small smile in return, but the worry was written all over his face as he tried to gather himself. "Always, sir."

With that, Bowser plucked up his courage, and the two entered the children's room together.


	3. To Muse on a Ruse

Time slowed down as they entered what felt like a vacuum. In an instant, all noise ceased, and Bowser blanched as the very silence he sought after just days earlier began to suffocate him. Several pairs of eyes simultaneously locked onto him in anticipation, and in that moment, Bowser felt it all: the pain, the sadness, anger, confusion, bitterness, fear, the _loneliness_ ; it was all too much to bear. Forgetting himself, he recoiled away from their collective gaze, for it had seared him with such an intensity no lava pit could ever hope to match.

Subsequently, the children, mistakening his sudden aversion to have been brought upon by ire, quietly scrambled to busy themselves with whatever they had been doing before, and shifted their focus elsewhere. Collecting himself, Bowser sighed in relief when he glanced up to find he was no longer the center of attention.

Guess there really _was_ a first time for everything.

 _I don't know how Kamek expects me to-Kamek?_ Bowser turned, and where he expected Kamek to be, there existed nothing but more of the same excruciatingly dense air that covered the room with an unwelcomed heaviness. Apparently, Kamek did not share in his hesitation, and had already made his way over to a pair of children, one of whom appeared to be injured. Much as he loathed to admit it, Bowser's spirits lifted considerably at the sight. Physical injuries he could handle, and from the looks of it, it seemed like the only broken thing he'd have to address was the kid's nose. And maybe his glasses? Ah well, Kamek could handle both. There was really no need for him to get involved after all...wait. Noses don't just break _themselves_. He looked around for anything Glasses could have tripped over or fallen from, and found nothing. His stomach churned. Then...who broke it? ...Crud. He began to survey the room in more detail, taking the first good look at his handiwork in weeks.

In the furthest corner of the room, three more children sunk into a bed, the youngest among them appearing to be no older than a toddler, and as he became more acutely aware of the tension in the room, he grew frightened and began to fuss a bit, reaching out for the young girl who had settled in beside him. She quickly moved to hush him, drawing him in too close to silence his mewling. He whined in protest, tiny fingers reaching up for hair to pull, and when they came up empty, they tangled in the faded ribbon tied about the girl's head and yanked hard. The girl yelped in surprise before dumping the little one back on the bed, abandoning all efforts to comfort him.

Bowser hadn't even noticed the third child until he had looked again. His darker form blended in perfectly with the shadows cast by the corner he was occupying, curled up, as if the action would allow him to disappear. The boy looked upon the sight before him-one of his own sprawled on the floor, dazed, another attempting to rouse him whilst tentatively offering Kamek his rendition of the events that had transpired. His eyes gleamed with something Bowser couldn't place, melancholia etched so deeply into an expression Bowser could only describe as ominously prescient, and certainly unbecoming of a small child. Without warning, they snapped upwards, meeting his own for a fraction of a second before they widened significantly and vanished altogether, as he had once again buried his face in his knees. Startled, Bowser followed suit, averting his own eyes elsewhere in an attempt to underplay the awkward situation he had just unwittingly created.

He finally fixated on the scene on the floor, where Kamek and the other child were attempting to set Glasses upright. This one was also quite small, and as a result, he was unable to assist Kamek much. At first, Bowser assumed him to be another one of the younger children, but as he watched him run his tiny fingers through his rainbow colored hair and sigh in frustration, he could see that upon closer inspection, he had internalized this shortcoming in such a way one does only if they are held responsible for something. Or someone. Bowser could empathize. His had his own kid to watch over, after all.

The prospect of connecting over this newfound common ground would have to wait, as Glasses grunted to indicate he had broken from his pain-induced stupor. Rainbow immediately turned to him, entwined shaky fingers with his own, and plastered the brightest smile he could manage upon his face. But even Bowser, who at the moment was hard-pressed to remember a single name, could see the cracks, and honestly, the sight became too painful to look at any longer.

His gaze swept towards the other side of the room, where the last two older children had remained motionless since he had entered the room. The one furthest from him faced the wall, either unaware or uninterested in the chaos in progress behind him. He held his head in his hands, allowing a thick layer of unkempt blue hair to obscure his face from view. Bowser looked at the other and observed a larger child perplexingly donning a pair of pink sunglasses despite the fact that he was indoors, and the sun had set hours ago. Bowser couldn't help but stare inquisitively. He had thought them to be glasses of some sort, but when the kid had turned to look at him, he had been met with a reflective glare and nothing else.

Perhaps he should be grateful for that. He was truly struggling to make eye contact with any one of these children, to say nothing of his hideously ineffective social skills- _hell,_ his grossly inadequate _parenting_ skills. Bowser shuddered at the realization.

It was almost comical how underqualified he was for this. Sure, he had one baby under his belt, but Bowser Junior was just that-a baby. When he cried, it was only a matter of time before his father was able to make him happy again. Still, with him at the helm, Bowser couldn't help but wonder for how long it would remain this way. How long would it be until his son grew frustrated with his failures? Before he pulled his hair, or hid in the darkest corners just to be away from him? Before he hides his pain entirely until he can't take it anymore, before he finally gives up and becomes the child in the corner, blankly staring at the wall in defeat? How would he make him happy then? ...How will he make them happy?

Bowser was pulled out of his musings by a small tap to the arm. It was the kid with the shades. Evidently, he had noticed Bowser staring a hole through him, and misconstrued it as an order of sorts for him to come forward and report what had occurred, or at the very least to explain why they dared disturb him at this hour. "Uh...sir?" Bowser was genuinely surprised, he hadn't expected such a small voice to come out of such a hulking frame. Seemingly arriving to the same conclusion, Shades sheepishly cleared his throat, but remained silent all the same.

Bowser paused a moment before realizing what it was he was waiting for. "Go ahead, kid." Shades flushed a bit, then shook his head as if to shake the color right off of it. "This...this is all my fault. Sir." he quickly added. Bowser arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. _That would explain things. This kid seems like the brawling type._ Shades gulped. "Look, long story short, I was havin' a rough day and Iggy over there thought it'd be a cute idea to run his mouth." He pointed over to where Glasses- _Iggy_ -was still collecting himself. "Now normally, I wouldn't lose my cool that easy, but..." he hesitated. "Well, I don't really know why he was rubbin' me the wrong way, but I just couldn't control myself. I just got so mad, y'know?" he sighed and added quietly, "I'm sorry you got all tangled up in this mess..."

There it was. Bowser figured out finally who this child reminded him of. And truth be told, he didn't like that one bit. Bowser may well have just stumbled straight into a memory, the resemblance was that uncanny. While he could admire certain traits he saw reflected in him, such as his apparent unwillingness to put up with crap of any kind, he knew better than most that beneath the congealed layer of bravado lied a raging inferno of anger. And for the last month, Bowser had been fanning the flames.

"So you broke his nose?" Bowser asked, careful to keep his voice at a neutral tone. This was good, familiar even. The kid would nod, look down with remorse, possibly cry, it was all okay. Bowser would make sure he knew that. Of course, he couldn't let him go around punching everyone, but he would apologize, Kamek would fix Iggy up, and it would all be okay. Bowser was absolutely thrilled about potentially making some headway at long last...But the kid just stared at him, puzzled.

"No sir, see, I only pushed him away from me, which I shouldn't have done, but that was all I did." _Wait, what?_ "Then, who...?" Bowser trailed off, defeated. He was back to square one again. Not to say that this kid didn't have some issues that needed addressing in the near future, but he only had the capacity to handle one thing at a time, and whoever had caused this little boy to bleed all over the floor was currently his most pressing concern. "Well, things were gettin' ugly real quick, so uh, Lud kinda stepped in the middle of us, y'know, to get us to stop." he winced at the memory. "Lud?" Bowser inquired, scanning the room to find the face that matched. "Ludwig." the kid clarified, and pointed to the blue-haired child in the corner who had still yet to move. Bowser's stomach tanked as Shades continued.

"He tried to separate us but neither of us were listening. We argued and argued and the poor guy tried his best, but we all knew we were both about to scrap. Finally, Iggy got fed up with him interfering and punched him in the arm to get him to move outta the way. When he refused, Iggy lost it and tackled him. I guess he didn't care at that point who he was gonna hit. I tried to pull him off, I really did, but this kid goes berserk when he's angry. He popped Ludwig in the eye pretty bad and Ludwig just...snapped. He decked Iggy straight in the nose, hard enough to send him flyin' off and seein' stars. I ain't never seen him like that before..." Shades swallowed hard and glanced over at Ludwig sadly. "He's been like this ever since. I tried to see if he was okay, but...no dice." Bowser blinked and sighed. This was going to be difficult.

He had no clue why the child had reacted the way he did, but if he wouldn't even reply to one of his own as to whether or not he was at the very least physically alright, he highly doubted the kid would open up to him. This didn't surprise him in the slightest. He didn't know who this child was, he didn't know any of them. They were more or less developed people, and were certainly not obligated to be affectionate simply because he provided them with basic care. Did he honestly even do that? He had wanted to respect their dynamic, their boundaries. He didn't want to force himself on them, especially given the circumstances, but this thoughtfulness stemmed from his own cowardice, and Bowser knew it. They had looked fine when he met them, fine when they agreed to stay, fine when he showed them the room they were to stay in, fine when he shut the door on them, fine, they were FINE, EVERYTHING WAS-

A primal screech cut through the air and shattered Bowser's thoughts like jagged glass, as Iggy suddenly and violently launched forward, flailing his limbs wildly in an attempt to break free from Kamek, who had caught him in midair. Rainbow immediately began attempting to placate him, but to no avail. In the closer corner, the toddler began to cry, and this time Ribbon made no attempt to quiet him. The shy kid looked on with a knowing sorrow, clinging to himself for dear life. Shades ran over to help Kamek, and the sullen one, Ludwig, unsurprisingly, did nothing. Bowser sifted through the fragmented remnants of his thoughts and found nothing tangible. The smokescreen has been destroyed, along with whatever desperate argument he had been attempting to make. Truly now he saw the situation for what it was, something he couldn't simply tape back together the same way broken glass could not be thrown back together with the promise of a quick fix. Observing all of the chaos present in the room, he felt drained. It had truly been tiring, lying to himself for this long, and look where it had gotten him. Nothing was fine. And it was his fault. He had done this. Kamek was wrong. He was just as bad as his father.

Time froze as he glanced over at Iggy, who had broken free from Kamek's hold before Shades could get to him, and had bowled past the others with the intent to make a beeline for Ludwig.

 _It doesn't have to be this way._

Suddenly, the gap between him and Ludwig had disappeared, with Iggy rapidly closing in. Bowser took a breath. He may not be able to fix this, but he sure as hell wasn't about to let it get any worse. And with that, Bowser plucked Iggy right off of the ground and held him firmly, bringing him up to eye-level. Iggy, stunned, and a touch fearful even in his current state, made no attempt to protest. "That's enough." he rumbled authoritatively, and Iggy went stiff. The room meanwhile, had fallen completely silent. All eyes were currently on him, and his nervousness returned. He looked behind him to avoid the stares, only to be met with a singular glassy eye, still partially hidden by matted blue hair, peeking out in surprise.

Unfortunately, Iggy's gaze followed, and he immediately recalled his fury, struggling immensely in Bowser's arms until the pain from his still untreated nose won out and he began to cry. Bowser hardly had time to wonder where he had gone wrong this time before Kamek approached him, arms outstretched. Bowser looked at him incredulously before realizing that the child weighed virtually nothing. He carefully handed him off to Kamek, and despite the fact that he was at least two-thirds his size, Kamek handled him with relative ease.

"Perhaps it would be best to separate them for the time being. I can't heal him until he calms down, and there is no telling when he may fly into a rage again." Bowser nodded, once again looking to Ludwig, who had returned his gaze to the wall. "Lemmy tells me that Ludwig here took quite a blow to the eye. You should probably take him to get that fixed up while I handle this little one."

 _What? Why didn't he just heal him right now?_ Kamek was more than capable, but when he voiced his opinion on the subject, Kamek bluntly replied that he knew the matter wasn't that simple. Oh. So he wasn't talking about the black eye then. He almost demanded that Kamek just heal the damn kid but, well, it really _wasn't_ that simple, was it? Sure he could heal him physically, but...that sneaky bastard. Still, he was right, and though it was a bit cruel to leave the poor kid partially blind, Kamek's methods had never been particularly straightforward, and an ice pack would suffice until he returned.

As Kamek turned to leave, Bowser was left with one more question. "Uh, Kamek?" he started. "Yes, what is it?" Bowser's cheeks grew warm as he whispered, "Which one is Lemmy?" Kamek's expression flattened as he pointed to the small child with the rainbow colored hair, though he ultimately held his tongue and finally departed with Iggy in tow.

Bowser cleared his throat, silently praying that Ludwig hadn't heard him, and shuffled over to the opposite side of the bed. When he made no effort to acknowledge him, he tentatively took a seat beside him. As he did so, the bed groaned under his weight, and he sank so far into it that the kid, confounded and unprepared, accidentally fell into him. Bowser's breath hitched, and Ludwig went rigid, quickly removing himself out of embarrassment. Or was it out of fright? Just how old was this child anyway? Unsure of himself, Bowser refrained from reaching for him, opting instead to see if the kid would communicate now that his focus had been broken. Sure enough, after a few moments of unagitated silence, the child spoke.

"Thank you, Your Highness." His voice was flat and curt, exuding a practiced control that Bowser hadn't foreseen, given the situation. All the while, he stared straight ahead, refusing to divert his eyes. "For?" Bowser knew perfectly well what for, but hoped the child would take the bait and open up a line of communication with him. No such luck. He merely sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Hey, kid?" No response. Ludwig was shutting down. All of this vascillating had only wasted precious time, and in the past, he would have given up long ago.

This time, there would be no surrender. He was going to help this kid or get punched in the face trying. Bowser had let him down, he had let them _all_ down too many times to count, just as his own father had. But today was different. Today, he would learn from his mistakes. Today, he would be the better father. His window of opportunity may have closed the minute he had shut that door all those days ago, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to try and smash through it anyway.

Emboldened, he reached out to brush away the hair that obscured the child's uninjured eye. Ludwig sharply inhaled and shifted away, but Bowser did not relent. With great caution, he gently grasped both sides of his face, turning the injured side towards him. The kid squirmed a little, but did not verbally or physically object. His right eye had already begun to blacken, tinged an ugly shade of purple, and was almost entirely swollen shut, as Bowser had predicted. Meanwhile, as Bowser studied his injury, Ludwig flinched, clearly uncomfortable with the scrutiny, and kept his eyes glued to the floor.

Eventually, Bowser released him, only slightly discouraged by Ludwig's indignance. "Come on. Let's go get you patched up." Bowser instructed, hoping his frustration was not discernible. He stood up and offered his hand, but Ludwig did not recognize it. As he stood up on his own, Bowser sighed and retracted his arm. Whether this kid was disoriented, or stubborn, or both, Bowser didn't know, and truthfully, it didn't matter much, he would be there either way. But he wasn't going to force him to do anything he wasn't comfortable with, and though he longed to reach out again, he was thankful that Ludwig had chosen to follow him at all, and for the time being, that was to be the end of that.

He headed towards the door, and once he was 200% sure Ludwig was still behind him, he opened it slowly, savoring the cooler air that rushed to greet him. Bowser paused halfway out the door before barking out over his shoulder, "Hey, Macho Man!" The child with the sunglasses, who had since been attempting to coax his timid brother out of the corner, stood up abruptly and winced. That had probably come out a bit more harshly than he had intended. Bowser softened his expression substantially. "Hold down the fort for me, okay? Kamek should be here any minute now." Exiting the room, he grasped the handle of the door and said something he should have said the last time he had been standing here.

"I'll be back soon."


	4. The Runaway Train of Thought

The trek to the infirmary was short and mostly silent, punctuated by the rhythmic plodding of Bowser's footsteps, and echoed in kind by Ludwig's own, fastidious and deliberate. However, as they neared their destination, the established thrum of their journey was perforated by a noisy collision, followed by a familiar hiss of pain and exasperation. After all, this was not the first time this had occurred.

"First you walk into a door, then you trip over the rug, and now you nearly take out one of my chairs- kid, are you blind or what?" Ludwig quickly straightened and looked up apologetically. "No sir, forgive me, I just...I suppose I haven't been paying attention. I assure you it won't happen again."

"You're damn right. Come up here, you're walking with me. I'm not about to let you break anything on my watch." To Bowser's surprise, Ludwig quickly replied, his even tone faltering, "Do you not think me capable of walking in a straight line?" Not wanting to upset him further, Bowser chose his words carefully. "Look, you can knock over anything you like, I don't care. But right now, you're hurt, and can't afford to bust yourself up any more. I promised Kamek I'd get you back in one piece, alright?"

Ludwig opened his mouth but did not reply, apparently thinking better of it. His stoicism was restored, the flicker of anger having been evidently returned to wherever it was he had been concealing it. But Bowser had seen it nonetheless, and in that moment, he became aware and subsequently more terrified of what it was he had set out to do.

He had been truly thankful when Kamek had taken it upon himself to handle Iggy. With his track record, he would have likely only made the situation worse, so he had been more than eager to put out the flames of Iggy's explosion. However, in his conviction, he had forgotten who it had been who'd lit the fuse.

Subconsciously, he reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, but when Ludwig again shied away, he was forced to backpedal. He did not retract his arm, but rather left it as a means to bridge the gap between them by any means necessary. Silently, he urged him to take it, but Ludwig did not appear moved. Bowser offered again, "Come on kid, at least walk in front of me."

Ludwig seemed to consider this, and slowly drifted towards him, tentatively placing his hand within Bowser's outstretched palm. "With all due respect, Your Highness-", he felt Bowser's hand begin to enclose his own, and in alarm, he slid it out apprehensively. "I know I can handle this. I'm not a child." Having made his point, he nevertheless took the lead, spotting the entrance to the largely empty infirmary, and left an utterly mystified Bowser in the dust.

"Well, you sure look like one to me." Bowser grumbled to himself bitterly. Seriously, he had never even met someone so perfect a paradox; phlegmatic and skittish and tightly wound yet wholly detached... _Where did he even think he was going? He doesn't even know where anything is. Was he trying to get back at him by giving him the cold shoulder? Well, that couldn't be right, everything Ludwig had said was nothing short of polite...So what was this kid? Is he messing with him? _

Bowser had practically thrown him a line earlier, and he had thrown it back with the same flippancy as if the two were simply playing catch. He thought at first this may have been because Ludwig disliked him, which Bowser wouldn't have faulted him for, but then he recalled how even his own were unable to reach him after what he had done, he had shut them all out without discrimination.

Just minutes ago, he had almost resigned himself to the eternal silence between them, that if he could just overcome this onerous obstacle, the rest would fall into place in time, but he had no right to force Ludwig to speak if he wasn't ready. But he had been. And though he was relieved at first, every subsequent meticulous word he spoke chipped away a little more at his tenacity.

He had imagined Ludwig's face, red and contorted with anger as he relayed his grievances, expecting him to demand an explanation, and possibly even an apology with an air of authority rallied by pain and sorrow. And Bowser had been prepared to give him all that he asked, because everything was his fault, and he owed the kid at least as much as consoling him in his hour of need. But as Ludwig's hand came into contact with his, he wondered if he had only done so to console _him._

His hand slipped away, and soon after, so did he, but his peculiar parting words had struck him. As he stood there staring at his empty palm, it dawned on him that Ludwig seemed to indicate he meant more than merely walking. He didn't want Bowser to know he didn't want his help.

He wanted him to know he didn't even need it.

His level tone became condescending, his conciliatory gesture became one of patronizing mockery. _Was he then, a child for wanting to fix his mistakes? Was it juvenile for him to open up to Ludwig in the hopes that he would find comfort in doing the same?_ He growled in frustration and began to stomp away, maybe he'd be of better use to one of the other children if he wanted solitude this badly. _What game was this kid trying to play?_

It wasn't that he had been shut down, he had prepared himself for this worst case scenario, and was ready to accept the brunt of any punishment they saw fit to bestow upon him after the way he had acted. But to have been utterly dismissed in such a way, as if to ignore everything that had transpired, to act as though it never occurred-well, that was just as good as saying that things would never change. That _he_ would never change. Perhaps it only pissed him off so much because he feared it may be true.

 _Alright Ludwig, I'm gone. Find your own damn ice pack. I'm sure that with as many things as you hit, you've got yourself a thorough enough map of the terrain to find your way back alone with that swollen eye of yours._ The thought of Ludwig's injury made him wonder how Kamek was handling himself. Remembering Iggy's violent and erratic behavior, he hoped that he had calmed down enough for Kamek to fix his nose, the poor kid's face had practically been smashed in.

He halted. He had once again forgotten who had been responsible for that. But how was that possible? Ludwig had been nothing but aloof and restrained since he had walked into that room, and his demeanor had not changed in his fifteen or so minutes alone with him. _Or had it?_ Bowser thought back to when he had finally grown tired of silence and inactivity. At that point, there had been such a disconnect that had he not a black eye to show for it, he wouldn't have believed him to be involved in the fight at all, let alone responsible for half of its carnage.

But then he spoke, his voice trembling the slightest amount, and there it was. That spark of ravenous emotion and rage that threatened to consume all if liberated. Then, as quickly as it had been excavated, it was buried again, and any sign of distress was immediately and brutally suppressed by a glaze of austerity. He must have known Bowser had seen it, soon after he felt it apt to assert his independence, and ran off in the hopes that Bowser wouldn't follow him, that they could simply part ways and never speak of it again, as if it had never...

Bowser turned on his heel and hastened back to the infirmary. Damn kid was smart, he had to give him that. It had almost worked.

As he entered, he found Ludwig almost immediately, and predictably, without an ice pack. Bowser had been willing to bet that he had gotten lost until he glanced over to the unlocked door that had not been touched. He hadn't even tried to leave the room. Instead, he stood paralyzed by the ghastly form that appeared before him, reflected by a nearby window. He was breathing heavily, as though what he saw truly terrified him. He whispered a number of things to himself, but the only one audible enough for Bowser to catch was a sarcastic lamentation of sorts.

"I can't let Larry see me like this." Then, as if what he had said had become suddenly funny, Ludwig let out a strangled cackle that asphyxiated immediately in the tension of the room. In a frenzy of desperation, he attempted to redirect every strand of hair he had to hang over his injured eye so as to conceal it, but as he seemed to return to himself, he must have realized how ridiculous he looked, and allowed a hollow chuckle to escape him as his hair once again fell to its natural place. Bowser, concerned to say the least at that entire display, decided to make himself known before anything else happened.

"Out of sight, out of mind, eh?" Ludwig jumped in surprise and whirled around to face him, attempting to stammer out an explanation for what he had just witnessed, but Bowser was already guiding him to the door. "I hate to break this to you, but I don't think it works that way." He threw him a reassuring smile as he opened the door, but Ludwig only stared, panic-stricken, as if Bowser's presence had destabilized him.

"Come on kid, lighten up. It was a joke." Predictably, Ludwig stiffened, overtaken once again by the overwhelming need to correct himself. "I am not a-"

"I know, I know. I hear you, sorry," Bowser interjected. "Now let's put some ice on that eye before you crash into something else. I'll let you walk behind me this time." He chuckled softly to himself as he led the way, though his efforts to ease the tension fell short when Ludwig huffed irritably.

Bowser instantly quieted, just barely holding in an exasperated groan of his own. He was trying, he truly was, but the more time he spent with Ludwig, he couldn't help but feel as though he were being constrained by continuously narrowing margins of error. In an attempt to atone for how recklessly he had overstepped into personal territory, he had apparently withdrawn far enough outside what Ludwig would consider appropriate behavior. In all honesty, he was beginning to feel irritated himself.

Nothing he did seemed to make him happy, and it pained him to know that despite his best efforts, Ludwig likely wasn't willing to give him the satisfaction. _Stubborn little brat. To hell with him._ At this point he only had two things to offer-his support, and his jokes. And as Ludwig kept pushing him away, Bowser was out of options.

 _It wouldn't kill the kid to get a sense of humor, would it? He's been walking around the place like Iggy's dead or something._ No sooner than the thought had come to him, the image he had initially found amusing began to haunt him. People _were_ dead. It was the whole reason they were standing here together.

Bowser's frustration quickly converted to shame. He was being too hard on Ludwig, it wasn't like any of this was his doing. Even if he had every intention to drive him off the deep end, he would be highly justified in doing so. He had messed up so badly that Kamek had sided with _them._ He had potentially placed their relationship on the line for _their_ sake. The man who had raised him practically from infancy had sided with children they had met merely a month ago. And he had been right.

Was he honestly so desperate to distance himself from his father that he could stand here and blame one of the victims for his own shortcomings? And one who couldn't afford for him to walk way again, at that? Bowser may have only been the residual flame of his father's ebullition, but Ludwig was a time-bomb of his own. And if the only tools he had at his disposal to defuse the tension were his support and his jokes, well, it looked like he was gearing up to be a father after all. Bowser only hoped that if the inevitable explosion wiped him out, the universe would finally call it even.

The two eventually arrived upon a door, and Bowser nearly walked into it with how deep in thought he had been. Thankfully, he caught himself, he didn't need Ludwig thinking he was more inept than he already likely did. The room was small, but homely. It had long since fallen out of use since Bowser had retaken the castle, much like the rest of the infirmary, as with hardly any troops around to fill it, those who had seen it at its most busy wisely did not stick around to find what war had in store for them. This area had been previously utilized as a break room of sorts for the infirmary's staff, and as such, it was furnished with a table, a couple of chairs, a small couch, and most importantly, a refrigerator.

Ludwig was not impressed. "What is this?" he asked dubiously, looking back out into the hallway as if they had somehow wandered into the wrong room. As Bowser approached the refrigerator, he laughed, "What were you expecting? You need _ice_ Ludwig, not surgery. Look, I know we may have walked a long way, and there's probably a million packs closer to the entrance, but I figured you'd much rather hang out in here than on a dusty old hospital bed." He rooted around in the freezer for a few seconds, pulled out an ice pack that was frigid with disuse, and tossed it to Ludwig, who fumbled with it a few seconds before it clattered to the ground. Ludwig disregarded it entirely, looking upwards at Bowser with an expression that betrayed his anxiety. "Hang out? I-no, no sir, I'm afraid I cannot stay, I must return to my siblings, I've been away too long-"

"Siblings?" Bowser asked as he went to pick up the fallen ice pack once Ludwig had made it clear he wouldn't himself. "Are you all related to each other?" He had asked primarily to prevent Ludwig from running off again, though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious. He wasn't sure whether or not he had asked this question when they had all met, but he'd also be lying if he said he'd remembered much of what had been said to him that day.

"No sir. None of us are." As Bowser handed him the ice pack again, he added with a hint of sentimentality, "But I would like to think us related by circumstance." However, the moment quickly passed when Ludwig realized he was being gently ushered to the couch, and tried once again to escape. Bowser let go of him, but knelt down to face him. With nowhere to go, Ludwig stilled and whispered softly, "Please." He looked drained, like the pain was finally getting to him. No way Bowser was going to let him walk out like that.

"Sit," he instructed firmly. "While I get you something for the pain." Ludwig only stared blankly at him, then the door. Bowser sighed. "Ludwig." As his eyes snapped to meet his own, Bowser conveyed as much warmth in them as he could. "Kamek has them. Trust me when I say that they are being taken care of. It's you we need to focus on right now." Ludwig flushed briefly, but before Bowser could ascertain why, he interrupted. "But he took Iggy, I thought. How-?" Bowser answered candidly, "If he can raise the worst child on the face of this planet and come out unscathed, I'm confident he handled your brother in no time flat." He laughed faintly as Ludwig's face lit up in recognition.

"You...he was...?"

"You remind me a lot of him, actually. I think you two will get along very well together. But yeah, this ain't his first rodeo, all of them are in good hands, so sit down and let me help you. You want them to see you at your best, right?" Bowser frowned at the bitter taste that last sentence had left in his mouth, and became worried that he had said the wrong thing when Ludwig's face twitched for a fraction of a second. However, before he could apologize, Ludwig had made up his mind, climbing onto the couch with the ice pack in hand.

Bowser sighed in relief and smiled, turning his attention towards the acquisition of painkillers. After much internal debate, he briefly left the room to retrieve them, and as he did so, he wracked his brain for any information he could possibly obtain from his memories of that day, what little he had. It was late in the evening, the mysterious "band" had been brought in only after he had been thoroughly convinced their intentions were not to kill him. In times such as these, you could never be too cautious, he didn't know who it was he was expecting. Children had been the very last thing on his list. But before the memory had become too blurry for him to decipher, he recalled one certain confused mess of blue hair stepping forward to address him on behalf of the others and plead their case.

Bowser grinned. Things were beginning to make sense. He returned quickly and made sure that Ludwig took the pills he had brought for him. As he did so, Bowser pulled a chair next to his place on the couch and relayed his newfound revelation.

"You're the oldest."

Ludwig stared at him apathetically, as if he had just blurted out the most obvious statement in the entire world. "Of course." Bowser laughed at the dryness of his response. "Well, in my defense, I had it narrowed down to either you or Pink Shade Boy, but now I know for sure."

To Bowser's surprise, Ludwig seemed genuinely amused by this, and giggled freely, and for a brief moment, he was able to perceive a flicker of youthful joviality that he had never before witnessed. As his laughter waned, he sighed in what appeared to be in content. "Pink Shade Boy," he repeated, softly smiling to himself. It was the best Bowser had felt in a while.

"Thank you, I knew you'd come around," he smiled smugly, hoping that Ludwig would never find out that the reason behind the ridiculous name was that he did not know what it actually was. "But what I was getting at, you may be the oldest, but that doesn't necessarily make you old. So let's clear this up, how old are you exactly?"

Ludwig's expression furrowed, and Bowser bemoaned how short-lived the easiness between them had been. But as he noticed Ludwig's sudden interest in the ceiling, he realized that he hadn't grown angry at the question, he was _thinking_ on it. Bowser's eyebrows raised with every second that passed in recognition of what he had evidently failed to consider before. That in this unspoken period of tragedy, they knew little of themselves or what preceded as a result of their need to survive, and details such as the passage of time became obsolete so long as they managed to live through it.

"Fifteen," he finally answered, though he was ultimately hesitant. Bowser looked him over incredulously. He did not look to be a teenager at all, though that would certainly explain quite a few things. Had it not been for his eloquence, Bowser wouldn't have imagined him to be any older than 10, considering how small he was. As gently as possible, he inquired, "Are you sure?"

"Do you not believe me?" he snapped, but as Bowser placed a placating hand on his shoulder, his ire evaporated, and his face fell. "No. I'm not sure. None of us are. All we have to go off of is how old we were before..." Bowser didn't make him finish the sentence. He supposed it could be true, it wasn't as though they had been eating properly these past couple of years. Maybe this is why he felt he always had to prove his maturity to everyone who questioned him. He dropped his doubt for the time being, as he became curious of something else.

"How old does that make Iggy then?" Again, Ludwig thought, though not as hard. "We believe him to be approximately nine years old, give or take." Bowser couldn't help himself. "You're _fifteen_ , and you picked a fight with a nine year old?" Ludwig glared at him, emotion bubbling dangerously close to the surface. Bowser silently cursed, clearly, that was the wrong thing to say. He was trying to preserve the camaraderie he had barely managed to create in the first place, but if it had been this easily torn down, had he really made any progress at all?

 _Was this really how it was going to end?_ All this work to get the bomb open even slightly only to cut the wrong wire? _Though really, what was the right wire?_ _Did it even exist?_ Bowser was sure that at this point, even if it did, it wouldn't really matter anyways, he'd never get to it in time. So his options as he saw them were really to cut this wire now and go out in a blazing spectacle of an inferno knowing that at least he tried to make a difference, and even harder to change. Or, he could drop the subject, and close him back up, leaving his timer to deplete until his siblings inadvertently stumbled into the blast radius at a moment when his cherished control no longer held any meaning to him, and he absolutely obliterated with the ferocity he had let escape as he dealt with Iggy's insubordination.

They didn't deserve that. _Ludwig_ didn't deserve that. All this walking on eggshells, prolonging this cyclical pattern of circumvention, it wasn't getting him much of anywhere except right back where he started-within the crosshairs of Ludwig's pent up aggravation. In any case, Bowser wanted answers. He needed to know what made this kid tick, and why he had snapped back there, if not for his siblings' safety, then for his own. Though he was highly and painfully reluctant, he was willing to be blunt if it meant he could spare them all another night like this.

Ludwig did not share in his hesitation, and fumed. "I did nothing of the sort. If you recall, he was the one who attacked me, without provocation, I might add. He might as well be two years old with the way he treats me." Bowser kept his tone as neutral as he could for the time being. He wanted Ludwig to be honest with him. "How did it happen?"

"Respectfully, Your Highness-"

"Save it, kid. I want to hear it from you. Floor's all yours." Ludwig was taken aback by Bowser's directness, and looked as if he wanted to argue further, but once again took a deep breath to control himself before he responded. "I have nothing to report that differs from the accounts of the others. My brothers were arguing, so I acted accordingly. I stepped in between them to sort them out. Iggy didn't care to listen to me, as usual, and he took me by surprise. He blackened my eye, and I did what I had to do to get him off of me. Did any of that sound unreasonable to you, sir?" Bowser nodded, not giving an inch. "Yes, actually, I take issue with the fact that you're fifteen, and he's nine."

"What does it matter? He punched me in the face!"

"That doesn't excuse or even warrant the degree of violence with which you responded, and from what I can tell from what you said, this behavior is ongoing, which leads me to believe that you expected this from him, yes?"

"You aren't listening to me."

"Oh, I am. Because if you expect me to believe that you're the kind of angsty teen that feels justified in breaking a kid's nose every time he jumps on you, which, by the way, I held that kid, he probably weighs three pounds soaking wet, Ludwig, I ain't buyin' it. Something happened back there that you aren't telling me, and I want to know what." Ludwig went silent, eyes widening in disbelief, as though he had just remembered what he had done. He mumbled softly, "I didn't break his nose."

"Yes, you did. Why do you think Kamek had to take him, for your sake? Don't tell me you immediately buried that along with a bunch of other junk so far down that you don't feel obligated to address it, because that's not how problems work. They won't just disappear if you deny them long enough." _Oh the raging hypocrisy._ Still, this place only had room for one moron who makes these kinds of mistakes.

Ludwig's face darkened considerably as he bristled at the advice, adopting a much lower, almost sinister tone. "It doesn't matter. Even if I did, he deserved it." Bowser was horrified at this new development. "How could you say that about someone you care about? You had no right to be that rough with him and you _know_ that. And on any other day you would have never considered it an option. I want to know why today was different."

"Never considered it?" He laughed spitefully, and Bowser sorely missed the juvenescence of it. "Sir I considered it every day. Because every day he regarded me with such contempt for reasons I cannot explain. And every time he laid his hands on me or disrespected me, my main concern always has been to keep the peace. And that has not been made any different today. Whatever I did, I did so to maintain order, and if Iggy walked away with a broken nose, then perhaps _he_ shouldn't have picked a fight with _me._ "

"I know that, and I'm not condoning his actions by any means. But we aren't discussing him at the moment, and so far, I have had yet to hear you take any responsibility for what you did to this kid. That's all I'm looking for so we can just move forward from this. Frankly, I don't see how breaking his nose was absolutely necessary to keep the peace. If anything, you made everything worse. I'm not saying you're solely to blame here, but you sure as hell aren't the only victim."

Ludwig's scowl deepened, heat practically radiating off of him, but when he spoke again, his voice was disconcertingly level. "You are correct. I am not. Though I suppose you may be as familiar with this as you pleased to be, I'll fill in some of the blanks for you. I had a family. We all did. Back then, I would have completely despised to have been called such a word, but that was when I had a clear vision of the future. I was only ten when this mess began, how was I to know I would end up losing everything? But no, I am not the only one. I was glad of the responsibility I undertook to look after those who would become my family if it meant that their losses somehow wouldn't feel as substantial. But what you and my brother don't seem to understand is that I _too_ have been chewed up and spit out by the ordeal. But it is my obligation to at least try to fight for the peace I have lost, and on days such as these when you have all turned your backs on me, I will regretfully stand and claim the title of victim, for what else can I do? You say that _I_ make everything worse? No one will see reason, no one will listen, and we are all worse off in that respect."

Bowser, however, had stopped listening. _Wait. What did he just say?_ "Do you mean what you say?" He asked slowly and carefully, as not to convey his intentions. "Every. Word." Ludwig replied just as slowly, but with much more intensity, and having made his opinions known, he crossed his arms to punctuate his point. "Ludwig, you said you were ten at the time this happened?" Ludwig sighed and shot up. "Were you even listening to me? And they say _I'm_ deaf, honestly-"

"Ludwig. The attack was launched two years ago." Ludwig promptly ceased rambling and closed his eyes as though he were crunching numbers in his head, and when they didn't add up, he swore. His face reddened and his expression soured at having accidentally incriminated himself. Bowser's own temperament went south as well upon discovering he was being toyed with yet again. "You're twelve?" he practically stated. Ludwig nodded curtly, avoiding eye contact. "I suppose I am, then."

"Don't play dumb, I'm not as stupid as you think I am, I know you're lying to me. Do the others know?"

"What? I-"

"Do the others know how old you are? Or is it just me you enjoy playing games with?"

"Yes, they know. You're being ridiculous. I live with them-"

"AND YOU LIVE WITH ME! How did you honestly think you could get away with a lie like that? How did you think I wouldn't be able to figure it out?"

"SIMPLE! You obscure us in a room for a month so whatever age I say I am becomes irrelevant, so long as _I_ pick up _YOUR_ slack in providing for the collective group, who have already been abandoned _once_ , who cares whether I am twelve, fifteen, or sixty, if you are never there to ask? I seem to remember it not being of much importance last week, why the change of heart? Forgive me, but I did not realize how severely three years would burden your suddenly active conscience. Three years makes no difference to me. If what you say is true, I have been raising my siblings for two years already, and I see no reason to wait until you deem me at an "appropriate" age to continue. I told you I was fifteen because I thought if I was going to do it alone, I figured I might as well have something to show for it. That you would see me succeed and leave well enough alone so you can't hurt us any more than you already have. I will always be in your debt for taking us in off of the streets, but I can handle what I can handle. And what I _can't_ handle is the look of disappointment on Larry's face every time someone passes by us, ignoring us. He thinks it's you, ignoring him every day, but he knows nothing else. He still waited for you. And I can't handle the thought that no one listens to me anymore because in a sense, we were all waiting for you, but you never came. And I wasn't enough for them anymore."

"And I'll take full responsibility for my absence Ludwig, I promise. Why do you think we're here? I may never be able to make it up to you or the others, but at least I know to when to admit it ain't working. Yes, I was a coward, and selfish, and terrified of the memories you would bring with you without considering the fact that you didn't want to bear them any more than I did. In all honesty, I wanted nothing more than to believe you could just handle yourselves so I didn't have to figure anything out for myself. But you know why that's the dumbest idea I've ever had? Because _children_ , especially you lot, who walked all the way through hell to get here, should never be left to their own devices, or else something like this happens. And you can feel as old as you want kid, but that's not going to be enough to change my mind, or change who you are-an obstinate _child_ who's in way over his head. Take it from an obstinate adult, I know how alluring an illusion can be, but I'd never be here trying to fix what _I've_ broken if I hadn't admitted reality first."

"How dare you compare me to you. We are _nothing_ alike. I would never do anything to hurt them-" Bowser stood up and laughed at the absurdity of the statement. "Are you serious? Are you actually serious? Or do I need to remind you for the twentieth time how badly you injured Iggy? See, this is what I mean, you _still_ won't own up to the hurt that you caused for the sake of-"

"YOU AREN'T LISTENING TO ME!" Ludwig screamed, standing up on the couch to meet Bowser's line of sight. "You know _very_ well what I mean, do not twist my words! You know I meant I would never dismiss them or discard them like worthless garbage...Though truly, if anyone here has proven worthy of such a title, it would have to be you, Your Highness." He closed out his lambasting with a deep, condescending bow and a derisive snort in an effort to convey to Bowser the control he possessed over the conversation. But Bowser knew better. Ludwig was unhinged, and utilizing his last line of defense: half-baked and immature insults that if anything, only served to validate Bowser's point.

Though he was not entirely unaffected by what Ludwig had said to him, he knew they were words meant to cut, meant to manipulate, meant to warn. At this rate, he was desperate to get Bowser to walk out again, because they both knew that he wasn't going to last much longer. But Bowser had no such plans. Make no mistake, he was pissed: that brat had a smart mouth on him that would need to be addressed later. But for now, he had been called worse before, and if he were ever going to reach that conversation, he needed to press forward.

"Interesting to hear you say that. We seem to have wildly different recollections of the chaos I walked into. You say I abandoned them, which is a fair statement, I'll admit. Then again, I wasn't the one in the corner while Lemmy stepped in to help Iggy as he bled. When that little toddler cried out as you stared off into space, were you roused to action? No, I dare say you _ignored_ him. You say I dismissed them? Also potentially fair. But as your brother came to ask if you were alright, did you acknowledge him? You are guilty of the same crimes you condemn me for, and regardless of the circumstances, I am but a simple man, as you've likely already concluded. That means I am able to call things as I see them, so Ludwig, you _broke_ back there. And that's perfectly okay. You're only a kid, and can only take so much, and it's fine so long as you're willing to accept that, but you aren't. You want to sit here and criticize me for all of my failures, go ahead, I deserve it, but don't you dare for a second think that you're doing much better, because you aren't. You like to think you run a tight ship, but I'll tell you, from what I've seen, this ship's half underwater with all the cracks in it, and you know what? Maybe the reason everyone jumped overboard is because their captain refuses to accept that it's sinking."

Without warning, Ludwig released a furious bellow and launched himself at Bowser, and once he made contact, he began swinging wildly. Blindsided, Bowser managed to detach him before he could do any real damage, but was too stunned to stop him as he slipped out of his grasp and stormed out of the room without so much as a parting glare.

Bowser blinked. _What had he done? And what was he doing?_ He should be chasing Ludwig down before all hell broke loose. But the more he thought about it, the more tired he became. He couldn't bring himself to do much of anything at the moment, he just needed a few seconds to collect himself.

Ludwig had attacked him. Actually, physically attacked him. He cycled through so many emotions he decided to just pick the least painful one and stick with it, allowing a humorless chuckle to permeate the silence. _The nerve of that asshole. He can't even see._ Then, as if on cue, the sound of something shattering echoed through the adjacent hallway. "Damn it, Ludwig," he muttered to himself as he searched for the ice pack he had assumed to be forgotten on the floor, but he found nothing. _Had he taken it with him? Whatever, it didn't matter, it wasn't important._ As he re-entered the hallway, he called out in irritation, "If you've knocked something over again, I swear-" he stopped himself upon coming across the scene before him.

Again, Ludwig stood motionless at a window, but where his reflection should have been, there existed instead an ice pack-shaped hole. "What the HELL, Ludwig? Have you _lost_ your damn mind? Why would-oh shit!" In the midst of Bowser's reprimanding, Ludwig had collapsed to the ground, landing rather roughly on his knees, but he made no indication of pain. He buried his face in his hands and muttered unintelligibly as he curled inwards on himself. Bowser knelt before him, but did not touch him, for the fear of startling him. Instead, he breathed lightly and smiled as easily as he could. "You sure do have a flair for the dramatics, don't you?"

"You were right."

"What?" It had been whispered so quietly he could barely hear it. "You were...right. I-I don't-they...they didn't listen, no one listens, why won't they-I...I don't listen. I tried so hard, I did, but I-I...can't. I can't do this, I can't do this anymore I-" As Ludwig continued to devolve, his prior eloquence deserting him, Bowser hushed him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Ludwig looked directly into his eyes, and what struck him was how much pain and anguish they contained.

"I-fa-failed." He choked on the word, and Bowser could see just how hard this kid was trying to cling to his composure as he sat stiffly and attempted to control his breathing. But when he had looked up at Bowser again, his eyes were just as desperate to impart their own plea to him before it was too late. Bowser sighed fondly. It was the same look his son would give him when he was distraught, and in dire need of someone to gather him up and protect him from whatever it was that had distressed him. But these were much more extreme circumstances, and as much as he wished it were that simple of a case, he knew it was futile to prevent what was about to occur.

But in that moment, much like he was accustomed to, Ludwig's muffled whimpering was enough to make the events of the night fade into obscurity. He had felt so useless before, but as he rallied his courage, he felt increasingly serene. He may not be able to give Ludwig those two years of his life back, but at least he could provide him with what he had been lacking in, and Bowser was determined not to let him down this time. After all, Ludwig _needed_ him. And he wouldn't sacrifice that feeling for the world.

No sooner than Ludwig had furiously wiped at his eyes, he found himself being gently scooped off of the ground. In confusion, he blinked upwards blankly, and as Bowser readjusted him in his arms, his breathing hitched. He pushed away and attempted once more to make a coherent sentence, and fumbled with his words until he whispered, "I...can't..." It lingered as though he had more to say, but really, those two words spoke for themselves. "You don't have to," Bowser finished softly. "It's over, I promise."

He ran a tentative hand through Ludwig's hair, and that was it. It was as if this simple gesture had reached him in a way that words couldn't. The facade instantly fell away, and as he buried his face into Bowser's shoulder and sobbed, clinging on to him for dear life, for the first time, Bowser saw what he knew to be there all along: a frightened, distressed, and lonely child.

However dissimilar to the likes of his son, who cried out for him confident in the consistency of the response it procured; that if not him, at least someone would come running to pick him up and console him until he was content again, Ludwig instead cried out for those who would never again reach him. And it broke Bowser's heart. He ambled numbly back to the break room, carefully sunk into the couch, and continued to absentmindedly run his fingers through Ludwig's tangled hair.

He was willing to bet they all felt like this. Hell, even _he_ dimly recalled the sentiment himself from some distant memory he had since tucked into the folds of time, much like he had been back then, tucked within the folds of a familiar antiquated blue robe. And much like Kamek had comforted him, he was confident that Ludwig had taken it upon himself to console his siblings when they approached him with their grief. But as it weighed on him, he found no one to call upon to offer him the same solace, so in a warped sense of responsibility, he decided to bear it himself. He piled it on top of his own unacknowledged grief, placed it all under lock and key, sat on it, and hoped for the best.

Though he knew this to be foolish, Bowser couldn't help but be impressed with how long Ludwig had managed to hold himself together. Here he was, _two_ _years_ later, finally mourning what he had lost-among many things, his childhood. He had thrown it away for the sake of the others, asking for no more than a little credit in return. But as the illusion he constructed manifested deeper within him, it brought to the surface an all-consuming desire for validation, and it became a hinge upon which his very stability relied. In steeling himself as an attempt to make up for what they had lost, he had almost lost himself.

But now, as Ludwig bawled against him, Bowser noticed that the constant rigidity with which he held himself was completely gone, his energy long since expended. His arms had fallen limp as well, exhausted from holding himself up before deciding that he ultimately trusted Bowser to do it for him. It was as if he had finally been liberated from his self induced, clouded haze, awakening much like one does from a deep slumber: knowing nothing beyond that you are extremely tired and disoriented. And though the nightmares had passed, Ludwig had yet to fully transition between two entirely different states of reality. Waking up was always the hardest part, Bowser could attest, and though it pained him to see Ludwig like this, it was for his own good. Bowser smiled despite himself. _Heh. His own good. Didn't think I'd have to add that to my vocabulary so soon. Now I really sound like a-_

"...dad."

Bowser's insides flipped upside down and caught fire. _Had he been talking this whole time? And...and did he just...?_ "What?"

Ludwig hiccuped, evidently oblivious to Bowser's inner turmoil. "I said I miss...my mom and dad." Bowser deflated, embarrassed. _Of course he hadn't, why would-? He had forgotten that-how could he think that he had...it was stupid. But why then had he been so disappointed? He was being selfish, impatient, but...Junior couldn't speak yet, and he supposed he hadn't really been aware of how long he had been waiting to hear it. How badly he had been wanting to hear it..._ He chided himself, these things would come in time, if not from Ludwig or the others, then from his own child, but it was becoming harder for him to make that distinction... _It didn't matter how he felt._ To impose on them in such a way would be practically an erasure of a time in which they had been joyfully tranquil with those to whom they really belonged, today's tumultuous difficulties distant and unlikely. _Who was he to deny them that?_

He swallowed hard, unsure of what to say to that, but as Ludwig's breathing became uneven again, Bowser set him down in his lap. "I know. And I'm sorry. But I know they would have been proud of you."

"Not likely," Ludwig stated bitterly a little too quickly. He then caught Bowser's concerned stare and swiftly moved to mollify him. "I punched Iggy in the face, I broke your window, and I've been so disrespectful...I'm so sorry. They would have been embarrassed at my behavior." Bowser only smiled, and though he didn't think he was being told the whole truth, it was something that could be discussed another day. "Hey, you're twelve. As long as you can still eat off the kid's menu, I think it's safe to say that you aren't supposed to be a champion of decision-making." Before Ludwig could comment, Bowser added, "I just hope they know that I'm proud of you too."

Ludwig's eyes brightened at that, welling up with gratitude. Bowser could feel the warmth he exuded, and the feeling was infectious. Apparently, he had been waiting to hear it for quite some time, and Bowser was more than happy to oblige. He exhaled sharply as Ludwig launched himself at him for the second time that night, and though Bowser had been caught off-guard yet again, the second time was undeniably a more blissful experience than the first.


	5. In Return

_How much time had passed? Was time real? ...What kind of a question was that?_ He couldn't think straight...his stomach-no, his chest was hurting again, and as the warmth from within it ebbed, he realized his arms were empty. Burying a sudden pang of overwhelming loneliness, he sighed in defeat. _Don't do this to yourself. This isn't about you, this is about-where was he?_

He sat up sharply, fully expecting him to have run off again, when he felt a weight on his side he had previously ignored swiftly slide off onto the couch. Somehow, Ludwig had removed himself without disturbing him and settled in next to him, but as Bowser prepared to race after a figment of his imagination, he had failed to notice that, up until that point, the very child he sought after had remained attached to him.

However, in his panicked foolishness, Bowser had practically startled Ludwig back into rigidity, and he backed away apologetically. His face reddened in embarrassment as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"I'm...please forgive me. I...I didn't mean to impose. It's just that-no, I'm being so clingy, aren't I? I know better than this, we are strangers to one another-"

"Whoa." Bowser cut right through his rambling before he could self-destruct. "Where's this coming from now, huh? I don't remember you being that shy 20 minutes ago," he replied gently as he moved closer to Ludwig and draped an arm over him. Ludwig looked up at him, confused, and wiped away at his eyes.

"You pulled away so quickly, I thought that perhaps...you didn't...want me to-"

"Oh no," Bowser's eyes widened at the misunderstanding, and he waved his hands to emphasize his point. "No no no, Ludwig I'm sorry, I couldn't see you and I wasn't thinking so I figured that maybe you had...y'know..."

"Run away again?" Bowser nodded hesitantly and to his surprise, Ludwig chuckled. "What with all the noise I make, there isn't a chance you wouldn't have noticed sooner." Bowser laughed but soon silenced himself upon the realization that he was the only one. Ludwig forced a smile and exhaled sharply, curling up once again.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that. I should have never allowed all this to happen. I shouldn't have reacted the way that I did, this is all my fault. I must look absolutely pathetic to you...well, I-I won't let it happen again, I promise you..." He looked away and his words trailed off into nothing, as though he were expecting to be reprimanded. His stare fixated upon an unassailable spot on the wall and the unseen cycle had been completed. There he sat, vacantly, the same hollowed-out shell Bowser had discovered earlier.

 _Oh hell no._

He wanted off of this ride, he'd been spinning all night, and his stomach felt worse enough as it was, he was not about to hop on for another round. No sir, they were both getting off. He tightened his grip, pulling him closer, and to his surprise, he leaned into him yet again, though he made no action to acknowledge it. Perhaps he was being insensitive. It wasn't like Ludwig had wanted to ride either, but nevertheless, someone had picked him up, thrown him on, and left him there to spin until he could no longer stand or see straight. _Ah. That reminded him._

He let go of Ludwig again and made his way back over to refrigerator. As he dug around, he spotted Ludwig eying him inquisitively. "Y'know," Bowser began, "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." Ludwig responded quickly, but where Bowser predicted anger, he spoke out of what seemed to be anxiety, only thinly veiled with arrogance.

"What makes you think I won't be able to keep it?" Giving up on finding another ice pack, Bowser grabbed a stiff bag of frozen vegetables and returned to the couch, handing it off. Ludwig only stared at him, and Bowser shrugged his shoulders.

"I didn't think my opinions mattered much to you."

Ludwig shot up immediately in defense. "What? Of course they do!"

"Well, they shouldn't. You want to hear what I think? I think that if you poured half as much energy you expend worrying about what I care into caring about yourself, you'd be the most egotistical schmuck in the entire castle. And I'm including myself. Now, that ain't an invitation to be an asshole, hear it? But I'm just saying you're better off not trying to impress the guy who only learned your name a few hours ago. Life's full of people just like me and worse, it's not going to change. So just hold your head high and be proud of yourself dammit, because at the end of the day, no one's going to do it for you."

"But I failed to fix a problem I had a hand in creating, I broke down, I couldn't-" Bowser laughed.

"You know my son had a meltdown the other day, and I _still_ have no idea what it was about? Hell, I don't even think _he_ knew what it was about. That doesn't mean I love him any less. It's pretty safe to say I'm used to it, and even if I weren't, I wouldn't even think of holding you to an impossible standard like that."

Ludwig opened his mouth to reply, but whatever he had intended to say had gotten caught in his throat. He swallowed hard and eyed the floor instead, mumbling, "That doesn't count..."

"Look, the point is, if you want to apologize for your big mouth, go right ahead, but I'm not about to let you apologize for the unforgivable offense of reaching out for help, because it's frankly ridiculous for you to be embarrassed for falling apart over what happened out there. You kids all lost so much...if anything, I'm the one who should be apologizing-"

Ludwig turned to face him before he had even realized what had come out of his mouth. "I don't understand." His eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he subconsciously backed away, putting a bit of distance between them.

Bowser stalled, _he hadn't really meant to initiate this discussion, should he pretend he misspoke?_ Pausing, he recalled his interaction with Kamek in the hallway. No, he had an obligation, he couldn't sweep this under the rug now, not when it had clearly affected Ludwig in such a way. He may be a lot of things, but he was not a hypocrite.

Nervously, he cleared his throat. "The king who ruled here before, he was the one to call for the attack. Are any of you familiar with him?"

Ludwig stared at him apathetically. "Overly."

 _Stupid question._

"Did you know anything about him?" Bowser clarified.

"I know what I think of him, and the rest I have learned from my parents. None of the others have mentioned him, so I assume they aren't aware who was responsible for the chaos. Not even I was until recently, though I could speculate." He hummed in thought. "Truthfully, I haven't asked. You see, we tried not to talk about it around the younger ones."

Bowser flinched. _The younger kids._ _Would he be doing more harm than good here? Was it too late to back out, at least until he had developed a plan? He wasn't ready, he hadn't thought this through._ He cursed to himself _, when had he ever thought anything through? Why did he always make everything worse? How could he think they would forgive him when he hadn't even forgiven himself?_ _He was going to ruin this, he-_

Ludwig tapped him lightly and he froze. "Forgive me, but I still don't understand what this has to do with-"

"He's my father. And...he was looking for me," Bowser blurted out before he could think better of it.

He knew it was the right thing to do, and he was just so tired. He hoped that if he just was a blunt and honest as possible, the pain would be short-lived, but as he watched Ludwig process his confession, his heart nearly burst.

Softly, he spoke with no discernible emotion. "I don't believe it...you're...you're..."

"Reprehensible? Duplicitous? Abhorrent?" He muttered bitterly. And he could go on. He had been called quite a few things over the past year, but at least he had expanded his vocabulary. He had been prepared to continue, but Ludwig's shaky voice effectively terminated his train of thought.

"You're alive."

 _Well, he definitely hadn't expected that._

Ludwig's blank expression dissipated, replaced with one of understanding. "I mean...yeah?" was all Bowser could muster. _Maybe not for much longer, these types of things couldn't be too good for his heart._ Ludwig began to elaborate to Bowser's relief. He didn't know how to respond to that.

"My parents began their work as ambassadors many, many years before I was born. They told me all they knew, I suppose they had intended for me to take up their line of work someday," he smiled fondly, but sadness infiltrated his expression. "And here I am, they taught me well..." Catching Bowser's vacant stare, he caught himself and shifted in embarrassment.

"Apologies, that's beside the point. To be concise, they also confided in me their wariness of the king they worked for, likely for that reason, though if they mentioned his name, I do not recall it. They, like others, knew the court well, and yet, only they and very few had vocalized their concerns as to the whereabouts of the king's infant son, who had been missing for some time. First he claimed ignorance, then professed his innocence. He alleged that a Magikoopa had defected, killed the prince, and then himself. And at the time, the absence of one such Magikoopa seemed to corroborate the story. However, as time passed, no investigation was ever conducted, and those who sought closure on the mystery were silenced. But they never stopped searching for the truth, and they never stopped searching for you. Over the years, many left for that very reason, and my parents were soon to follow, but they...didn't."

"Why not? What happened to them?"

Ludwig looked down sheepishly. "Uh, well...me."

"...I see."

"In any case, they may not have gotten to search in the end, but _I'm_ glad to have found you." Bowser looked at him fondly, but couldn't bring himself to smile. He knew Ludwig was trying to make him feel better, but in doing so, he had inadvertently implicated him in his parents' deaths. Words that were meant to warm his heart chilled him to the bone.

People had searched for _him_ , and though some were ultimately successful, those who remained were left to face his father's desperate, almost psychotic need to find him before anyone else, by any means necessary. And in his delusion, to make sure that there would be no one to conceal him, he had gone and...He sighed heavily.

Maybe it was silly to harbor guilt over events he did not initiate. Kamek would certainly think so. Maybe they wouldn't have been spared anyway. But it was so difficult for Bowser to keep from imagining what the present would have been like had his father never looked for him again, if he had just disappeared forever from the public consciousness, then maybe those poor kids' parents, their families, they'd still be here, _if Kamek had just killed him like he was ordered to..._

He needed to calm down. Truth be told, he hadn't known where that thought had come from and though it greatly troubled him, Ludwig's concern seemed to be growing as he waited for a response, and he couldn't afford to dwell on it much longer. Still, he couldn't afford to lie either.

"I think your folks had the right idea. It probably would have worked out better if I had stayed lost, you know?"

Ludwig held up his arms in protest. "Certainly not. If we hadn't found you, well, we were getting desperate, who knows how long we would have lasted on the streets?"

"You wouldn't have even been out there if it weren't for me. My father, he...destroyed everything and everyone in his path to find _me_. And I know what you're going to say, it's not my fault, but the man at fault is dead. Who do you think the people look for then to shoulder the blame?"

"Your Highness please-"

"Do you not understand?" Bowser snapped, "Save your fancy titles for someone who's actually seen more than an eighth of this kingdom, okay? I'm just the guy scrambling to clean up after his deranged dad, and who, by all accounts should have probably died years ago."

"...But you didn't."

Before Bowser could reply, Ludwig slowly inched closer, imploring him with his eyes to take heed of his words. He reached out and settled his hand on Bowser's arm, but as Bowser looked at him more directly, he shrank and looked away, as though he had lost a bit of his resolve. "Neither did we. And it though it hurts to think about sometimes, at others, alive is just the best thing you can be. As often as it is a source of guilt, I have found it to be a source of hope."

His words resonated in Bowser's head, carrying the faintest ring of familiarity as he pondered them. _Damn_. This kid sounded frighteningly similar to Kamek with his well-meaning, if only slightly cheesy, words of advice.

As he thought on the old wizard, a soft smile broke out upon his face. Kamek would not hesitate to kill him now if he knew what he'd been thinking. This man had given up everything he had so that he could live, and this is how he repaid him? For as terrible as Bowser was, Kamek never once abandoned him, and while for him that often meant lecture after lecture, being dragged inside again and again as Kamek looked over his shoulder for dangers Bowser could not even see, heated arguments, cold silence, and everything in between...at the end of the day, he only sought to protect him from someone who was supposed to love him.

For as terrible as he was, Kamek only ever tried to make him as happy as he was able, so that he could say not only that he was alive, but that he was living. And as he struggled to provide the same for his son, he had been right there to help him.

And his son, his beautiful son. He wouldn't trade him for the world, regardless of the circumstances of his arrival. He looked to Ludwig, who smiled warmly back at him. When it was all said and done, the same could be said of the other children, and while he didn't know them well, he yearned to, and this yearning filled him with hope. Hope for a new start, a new future...a new family.

He gave Ludwig an affectionate pat on the head, allowing a soft grin to overtake his gloomy demeanor. Ludwig responded with a small yawn of contentment, and situated himself so that he laid up against Bowser's side again. As he moved his arm to accommodate him, he chuckled quietly in amusement. As mature as Ludwig attempted to come across, he had proven to be quite affectionate himself. _Well...he was a child, after all. At least he had an excuse._

His reputation aside, he was a bit ashamed of his actions. He probably hadn't been the image of stability everyone was hoping for. A king who loses his temper, who, if even only briefly, divulges a bit more than he was willing to about his turmoil doesn't exactly inspire faith and loyalty in his subjects, does he? He felt one of Ludwig's arms wrap around him.

 _Oh who was he kidding? He sounded just as bad as Ludwig._ There were more important things to worry about, after all.These kids didn't need some pompous political figurehead, they needed someone who was going to be honest with them, someone who they could talk to, and hopefully someone they could relate to. He was all they had now, and he owed them that much at least, given that he managed to keep himself in check as well.

He wasn't thrilled about cracking in front of Ludwig, who he definitely wasn't doing any favors by exacerbating his emotional vulnerability, but he was willing to chalk it up to physical and mental exhaustion, as the events of the evening alone were enough to put him in a coma for an entire year at least.

He had experienced a catastrophic cyclone of emotions, spending hours whirling between burning anger, enervative melancholy, and apprehensive euphoria, cycling constantly between confidence and self-doubt. They were better off alone, _but were they?_ He would fix all of his mistakes, _but could he?_ He had made his peace with the past, _but had he?_ He was going to make these children his own... _but should he?_ And these questions that he had pushed to the back of his mind now threatened to overwhelm him, and he struggled to answer them as though he were attempting to access areas of his brain that didn't even exist yet.

But strangely enough, he found some tranquility in that. He was just new at this, everyone was. He didn't know what the hell was going on half the time, and neither did they, but it was alright for now to not have absolutely everything figured out, right? It would all be addressed someday, perhaps when they had all healed up some more, but for now, it was what it was. He didn't mind, the future meant progress, he could only get better with more time and experience. But more importantly, the future meant growth, and despite Ludwig's initial reticence, there Bowser sat, holding the very child who had sworn by his closed fist that he would never forgive him. Growth was underway, he could definitely attest to that. _Who knew what the future held?_ He yawned. He was getting too tired to care.

"Don't think this means that you're off the hook for earlier." Ludwig didn't bother looking up.

"What are you going to do, ground me?" he replied airily, and snorted, apparently entertained by the thought.

"I think I'm well within my right to do so. I don't take too kindly to those who would refer to me as...garbage, I think it was? _Man_ that was lame, kid. You gotta do better than that, or no one's _ever_ going to take you seriously."

"Oh? And what shall I call you, then?" Ludwig teased, pushing himself up to face Bowser so that he could formally accept his invitation to exchange wits. However, his smirk faded with each moment of awkward silence that ensued instead. Bowser, meanwhile, had turned a light shade of red and found himself no longer able to make eye contact with him. _Don't mess this up, don't mess this up, please..._

"Just...Bowser will do for now, alright?" Ludwig seemed skeptical at his hesitance, and looked as though he had a million follow-up questions to that spontaneous and embarrassing display. _Well, it was...harder than he thought to phrase it good-right, damn he needed to sleep, he was a mess._

"...For now?" Ludwig seemed apprehensive, but Bowser chose not to take notice, and stumbled blindly onwards, nudging him with an elbow in a way that was not at all natural.

"Yeah, well, if you want to throw a "Lord" in there to boost my ego I won't stop you. Although I'm guessing by your affinity for stupid formalities, I won't have to raise your allowance to do it, eh?" _Yikes_ _. He closed his eyes and cringed, as his effort to reinstate the lively banter between them imploded before his very eyes when Ludwig allowed the silence to persist. He tried to force a laugh to fill the empty space but it only made the tension increase exponentially._

"Allowance?" Bowser opened an eye. _Why must Ludwig prolong his suffering?_ He knew that brat had an annoying tendency to pick apart every single thing he said to him, but it was a joke, and a bad one at that, _just let it die, please._ However, he seemed to be probing at something, though Bowser couldn't understand what. _Leave it to Ludwig to go deep-sea diving in a damn puddle._

"Yes? What's the problem?"

"I just...don't think you're using the correct word."

"Oh you've gotta be-is the precision of my language _really_ that important to you?"

"...Only if you meant it."

Bowser grew flustered. He didn't like the way Ludwig was scrutinizing him for a purpose he had yet to uncover. "Look, fine, it was a bad joke, it's late, and I'm not on my A-game, let's just drop it, okay?" He looked on, grumbling as the gears continued to turn in Ludwig's head, and as he seemed to arrive at a conclusion, Bowser expected more overly-analytical and unnecessary questions.

Instead, a small, timid smile formed upon his face, and his cheeks became tinged with color, but he said nothing. Bowser was still confused, but before he could ask what that had all been about, Ludwig seemed to finally understand what he had been implying all this time...that he was tired of this nonsense and just wanted to get some damn sleep. He stood and straightened himself out, his eyes slightly shining with a sentiment Bowser was too exhausted to configure.

"I understand." _Oh thank goodness._ "Shall we go now? It is quite late, yes?" _Music to his ears._ He nodded, and pushed himself up with a grunt, shuffling towards the door, but Ludwig did not follow. Upon this realization, he turned and shot him an inquisitive stare lightly marred by impatience. Looking him over, he seemed to have retained his rigid posture, but he still wore a bashful expression as he stared at the floor and slowly raised an arm out towards him.

"Bowser, is it?" he mumbled. "I...still cannot see very well, so I think it would be...more practical if I were to-" He stopped himself upon feeling Bowser's hand enclose his own. Bowser smiled softly.

"I understand." And truthfully, he did. He speculated that the swelling had gone down enough to allow Ludwig to walk on his own if he so desired, but as he smiled appreciatively in return, no doubt pleased with himself, Bowser decided that for all the secrecy, deceit, and insecurity that threatened to destabilize them in this moment, this was a lie he could live with.

However, before they could progress further than a few steps, Bowser felt a hesitant tug on his arm, prompting him to stop and once again turn his attention back to Ludwig, who was at present nervously fidgeting.

"Um, sir?" he began sheepishly, then cleared his throat. It seemed as through he were attempting to salvage his lost formality, and once again erect the remains of what had once been an intricate wall of sophisticated austerity. But he was failing to commit himself fully, and only looked flustered as he desperately tried to conceal his shame while simultaneously maintaining an iron grip on Bowser's hand.

"I would very much appreciate if this were to stay between us. The others..."

"Are worried about you. And so am I." He felt Ludwig stiffen at that.

"You would all do well to expend your energies elsewhere." he muttered tiredly.

"Ludwig, where else, huh? You think I chased you around because I needed the exercise? Watched you burn yourself out because it was something to do? I know we didn't start off on the best of terms, but I want you to know that I care, I do, and I promise I want to help you. All of you. Where better could my energy be expended?"

"Your kingdom." Bowser laughed and began his rebuttal, but his words died as Ludwig cut him off.

"Your son."

Bowser sighed. He knew Ludwig hadn't meant to sound accusatory or address him with any sort of malice, but he had effectively backed him into a verbal corner. Of course his son was important to him. He loved Junior dearly, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't felt as though for the longest time, they were all each other had. But the circumstances had changed, and whether or not Junior was willing to share was of little importance, his mind had already been made up. Anyway, if the kid turned out anything like his father, he'd thank him for it later.

Conjuring no adequate way to verbalize his thoughts, Bowser instead gave him a half-hearted smile and once more ran his hand through Ludwig's hair in a gesture of good will. It said enough. He stalled, but didn't stop him, though he immediately moved to fix it, as if he had just realized how unkempt it had been. Amused, Bowser grinned genuinely and placed his free hand on Ludwig's shoulder.

"Hey, if it means that much to you, you have my word. But only if you start taking better care of yourself, okay?"

Ludwig's face was despondent, his tone heartbreakingly honest. "I thought you said not to make any promises that I can't keep," he joked, without a hint of humor in his inflection.

"Then I'll see to it that you do. I have full authority here, and I'm not about to let my good name be tarnished by a defiant twelve-year old." He was lying, of course. He had no good name, but Ludwig seemed to get a kick out of it. At least his name was worth something to him... _crap._ He had almost forgotten. Warmth rushed to his cheeks as he swayed in chagrin. Before Ludwig could ask him what had brought upon the sudden shift in his disposition, he chuckled nervously.

"If I could make a request myself, there is one thing I'd also prefer to keep between us, if you don't mind."

Ludwig looked up in anticipation. "Anything. Name it." Bowser winced at his words. Of all the things he had endured tonight, this was by far the most uncomfortable. As he picked up the package of frozen vegetables and handed them back to Ludwig, he fumbled. _How to go about this..._

"Uh...Pink...Shade Boy?"

Ludwig snickered in surprise, failing to contain his mirth. "Please don't make me keep that to myself."

"No, that...it's not..."

"Well, what of him then?" Bowser swallowed hard as he gently ushered Ludwig out the door.

"Do you think you could tell me his name?"

slaps roof of chapter* This baby can fit so much exposition in it

No but for real, you'll just have to forgive me on this one, sequels are never as good. So obviously you probably know this by now, but this is just my own take on things because I honestly find a lot of things intriguing about the Mario universe. However I'm not going to pretend at all like it's perfect because every time I _almost_ fit a square block into a circular hole, a new Yoshi's Island game comes out (no disrespect) so rip I guess. This was originally going to be the last chapter, but I made it too long (again) so you can expect one more from me here. Thank you all so much for your commentary, I never would have had the courage to keep writing this if you all hadn't been so supportive. I'm glad that there are actually people out there that share the same interests as me (and my brother, by extent). Have a wonderful day, and happy exam szn bois.


	6. Of Hearth and Home

**Hello everyone! Terribly sorry for the delay, but I couldn't think of a better day to update. That said, Happy Father's Day, and strap in, it's a long one, but I am stubborn and refuse to cut it into two chapters. Hopefully I made the right decision.**

The trek from the infirmary, by contrast, was relatively without incident. Ludwig had tried his best to maintain a respectable distance between the two of them, but would inevitably stumble into Bowser's path upon sensing any sort of impending obstacle, much to his mild amusement. However, just as Bower became accustomed to this new rhythm, they approached the door they had left behind some unspecified amount of time ago.

As the door swung open once more, Ludwig seemed to remember himself, and hastily released his grip on Bowser's hand, his other hand firmly clutching the makeshift icepack squarely center against his injured eye in an attempt to protect it from scrutiny. Whether this was intentional or instinctual, Bowser didn't know, but he had barely begun to formulate the question in his head when Ludwig hissed, "I thought you said Kamek would be here…" He hadn't even had enough time to look around the room, but as he gave it a disinterested once-over, he became aware of that Kamek was indeed absent. In truth, he wasn't surprised, Kamek was as thorough as he was old and slow, and with a kid as volatile as Iggy, he had to imagine what kind of an ordeal it must have been just getting him to calm down.

"Ludwig!"

He whirled around to see the remaining five children, very obviously exhausted but equally convicted, making their way over to where he and Ludwig stood with a concerned briskness. Ludwig, who had been in the midst of anxiously rambling, immediately stopped himself as he heard his name being called, but grew tense, as if he were silently picking up where he had left off. Bowser laughed quietly to himself and flippantly nudged Ludwig's arm, then quickly raised his own into the air as Ludwig shot a glare in his direction. "I'll be honest, I thought he was. But it doesn't even matter, because everyone is fine, okay? They don't need…" Bowser flinched, but it was too late. His train-wreck of a half-baked thought hung mangled in the air above them and a considerable pause ensued, punctuated only by a heavy sigh of resignation.

"…I know," Ludwig whispered tiredly. "I just didn't want them to be alone." Bowser placed a hand on his shoulder apologetically.

"Hey, I'm sorry, you know I didn't mean it like that…" he began gently. "I just think that you should put a little more faith in them, that's all." Ludwig offered him an empty smile and nothing more, realigning himself as his siblings finally reached them.

"Well if it ain't the local heavyweight boxing champion!" The girl- _Wendy_ , he recalled, approached first, exuding an air of nonchalance about her mannerisms so forced that he could almost visualize its mechanical framework. Though Bowser wasn't surprised, he was deeply saddened by the fact that not one of them seemed fazed by this. She moved up to give him a playful punch to the arm, but Ludwig withdrew, scoffing. Wendy snickered. "Good to see you back in commission."

"Have you only come to mock me?" Oddly, he looked not at Wendy, but at Shades, who had followed close behind her, and in his arms, the sheepish child who seemed as though he would have liked nothing more than to return to the shadows he had been content to hide in. _What were their names again-_

He answered in kind, his voice dripping with a cool indifference. "Not a chance. Don't want to end up like Iggy." Ludwig's good eye narrowed as he growled, and started forward, only for Bowser, in a tired panic, to quickly pull him back. Stunned, embarrassed, and a bit disheveled at the unexpected force, he cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his footing.

"If you speak to me that way again, I cannot say for certain what will become of you." Though Bowser could not see his eyes, he was certain that he had rolled them. Nevertheless, he clutched the little one slightly tighter against him and maintained his distance.

"Oh please, are you gonna fight everyone that makes a joke now? I don't understand why you insist on makin' a fool of yourself when no one's even laughing at you-"

" _Roy._ "

As though they had just remembered he was present, all attentions snapped to Bowser, who had no time to be proud of himself for accidentally remembering a name he had only learned a few minutes ago. _Seriously, how do they even have the energy-?_ Roy's lax expression was all but lost and he tensed up considerably as he turned to face Bowser, intending to face the consequences of his abrasive honesty head on. Bowser was admittedly impressed, and a touch relieved. At least this kid was direct. "Sir?" he lowered his head respectfully.

"Bowser." Roy looked up in surprise and eyed Ludwig inquisitively, who only gave him an irritated shrug in response.

"Uhh, right then…" He didn't seem to understand the significance of what Bowser was implying, and once again bowed slightly, his movements severely limited by the child in his arms who gave him away. This little one- _Morton, was it?_ The little one hadn't dared move a muscle on his own, so as he trembled slightly, he became to Bowser a clear projection of just how hard Roy was attempting to control his own anger. He sighed. It was growing difficult for Bowser to chide him, if not for his own fear of another brawl, then his secret appreciation for Roy's direct, if slightly pointed, candor. He had been trying to convey more or less the same message to Ludwig for the better part of an hour, so he had to applaud his efficiency, or rather, his poorly hidden concern. _What could he say? They were too similar._

There was really only one way he could think of to de-escalate the situation. In another time, he would have likely hesitated to intervene, as not to disturb what he had believed to have been a solid group dynamic. But he had witnessed them splinter, and one by one they would all eventually come apart in their own ways, and as to what that may entail, well…it certainly frightened Bowser. A little discord he could handle, but to see it so intrinsically entwined with the very foundations of every action, every encounter, every relationship…perhaps it was his own physical exhaustion, or perhaps it was his empathy, or quite possibly something stronger than the two that compelled him to end it once and for all. He was here now, and he wasn't about to let anyone else get hurt on his watch.

With his mind made up, he moved to Roy, and as he vaguely flinched, Bowser knelt before him, signaling his benign intentions. He watched Morton's eyes widen in surprise as placed a sympathetic hand on Roy's shoulder, to which Roy, wholly puzzled by Bowser's lack of anger, responded by looking up at him apprehensively.

"I meant to thank you. Good work." Instantaneously, both Roy and Ludwig turned red, though for different reasons. Roy seemed to be thrown off by the genuine praise he had received, and attempted to hide his face behind his brother, looking around.

"I…I mean sure thing…what for?" he sputtered. Ludwig stomped up beside him, posture as perfect as he could manage, and fumed, "I agree. Whatever for?" Bowser smiled wearily and settled his free hand on Ludwig's shoulder to placate him.

"Look around. Nothing's broken, nothing's on fire, we're all together, and everything's okay. The bar's been set pretty low around here, so I see this as a success." Ludwig huffed, but the color eventually faded from his cheeks, deciding against continuing the argument to preserve as much of himself as he was able. Bowser snorted, almost too loudly to hear a small voice of protest from behind.

"Iggy isn't here."

The others parted to reveal its owner, Rainbow- _Lemmy-_ currently staring anxiously at the door, one hand buried in his hair, and the other clasping that of the youngest, the toddler whose name…escaped him at the moment. Noticing now that all eyes were on him, he likely realized that his comment had been more audible than he had initially intended, so he put up his hands and plastered on a large grin in an attempt to neutralize Bowser's look of guilt. Bowser meanwhile, was 0 for 2.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Oh no, that's okay, I know you didn't mean to exclude him. Sorry, I'm just a little worried, that's all…but I'm sure everything will be just fine!" The young child made a noise of discontent, as all the direct attention began to make him uncomfortable. Lemmy immediately turned to him and gave him a reassuring pat on the head. "Hear that? No use panicking over it anymore, right? Iggy'll get fixed up, and who knows? Maybe everything'll be different this time around!"

Lemmy's smile seemed to reassure the toddler, but for everyone else, Bowser especially, the tension grew almost exponentially. By the time Bowser had approached him, it had been practically wiped off of his face as the implications of what he had just admitted dawned on him.

"How many times has this happened before?" his voice was low enough that only the two could hear.

That didn't stop Lemmy from attempting to underplay it anyways. His posture and expression shifted defensively, but he regained his bearings and smiled tiredly all the same. "It doesn't really matter anymore, does it? Why dwell on it?" he almost whispered back.

As Bowser was finally close enough to look him over for the first time, he noticed several counterarguments littered about multiple different areas of his tiny body, each more faded than the last, but planted nonetheless. One appeared a particularly fresh shade of purple, and as Bowser moved to point it out, Lemmy surprised him, jumping quite a distance away from him with unexpected agility. He giggled at the others' expressions, then grinned at Bowser. "Wanna see me do it again?" he inquired, equally jovial and threatening.

"Lemmy, enough. This is no time for your childish tricks." Ludwig reprimanded uneasily. He too, it seemed, was a bit unnerved at the apparent exchange. Lemmy only shrugged airily.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself."

Bowser didn't even get to respond. The door suddenly opened, and there stood Kamek with a good-as-new Iggy, starry-eyed and speechless, gazing upon him as though he had seen the face of god. He hadn't heard the words between them, but Kamek seemed amused, _flattered_ even. _They must have teleported here._ As if to confirm his theory, Kamek winked and twirled his wand a few times in one fluent motion for good measure. Any other day, Bowser would have been absolutely relentless in tormenting him about that dorky display of gratification, but he stood transfixed by what it was Iggy seemed to be holding in his arms, praying to all that existed in the universe that it wasn't what he believed it to be. _Kamek could not possibly be that incompetent._

Bowser vaguely realized that the others appeared unsure of themselves, and looked to him as though they expected something of him, like they were waiting to see what his next course of action would be. Taking this into account, Lemmy stopped him before he could proceed. He dropped his easy grin, and lowered his voice just above barely audible such that Bowser was forced to bend before him to hear. "Please forgive him. Please? He didn't mean anything by it, honest, he just-he's one of us, okay? He needs you too." Bowser nodded absently, but as he looked him over again, he deflated a bit.

"I won't let this continue." Lemmy brightened, his eyes sparkling with unexplainable felicity as he darted forward and retreated with such a swiftness that Bowser did not recognize he had been embraced until he felt the warmth within him rise again. As Lemmy moved away towards the others, he offered him a genuine, serene smile.

"I trust you."

Bowser fumbled a bit before finally righting himself, and headed for the pair at the door. As if he could sense Bowser's wariness, Iggy immediately shuffled behind Kamek as he approached, inadvertently obscuring what he had been carrying. Kamek nodded in greeting and chuckled softly at Iggy's apparent aversion, attempting to persuade him out of hiding.

"Come now, he won't eat you, I promise." Despite this, Iggy remained precisely where he was.

"What took you so long?" Bowser griped, though the slightest hint of movement from the suspicious bundle in Iggy's arms indicated to him that he already knew the answer to that.

Kamek seemed unfazed at his irritation. "We got a little…held up."

Bowser rubbed his temples, breathing deeply in an attempt to circumvent his ire. It didn't work. "I can see that," he grumbled almost in resignation. He stiffly held out his arms to Iggy, but he only stared back, very clearly on edge. Bowser exhaled heavily and softened his expression, knowing Iggy would likely only comply when he was absolutely certain he was not going to clean his clock. It never failed to produce a pang of sadness from within him whenever these remnants of their time on the streets revealed themselves, as Iggy flinched in anticipation of a blow that wasn't coming, even though Bowser hadn't even entertained the thought of raising a hand against him.

Kamek, on the other hand, well, he was just lucky his hands were about to be full.

"Hey," he mumbled softly, prompting Iggy to peek out from behind where Kamek stood. "Mind if I take him? Kid gets pretty finicky if he's up past his bedtime."

Iggy relented, slowly emerging to hand off the pile of blankets encasing Bowser Junior, who, to Bowser's annoyance, was wide awake, though thankfully calm for the time being. "You should be asleep," he complained, and though he looked at Junior, his frustration could not have been more clearly directed at Kamek.

"I need to speak with you for a moment."

"I don't think that would be-" Bowser shot him a glare, daring him to argue, and thankfully, he took the hint and followed him out of earshot. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Lemmy quickly run to fill the vacancy while the rest of the children continued to hesitate. He felt Junior stretch himself out a bit, uttering a soft noise of content as he settled in. As Bowser brushed the top of his head, pleading silently for him to return to sleep, Junior only blankly stared up at him in unwitting defiance. _Great. It's not like I don't already have enough to deal with…_

"Kamek, I swear if you're trying to make a point here, it better be a damn good one. What the hell do you think you're doing, waking up my son at this hour?"

"Your son would have woken up the entire castle, had we not passed by. I tried to quiet him, but he is his father's child; he would not heed me," he shrugged, then stole a glance at Iggy, adding, "I imagine he only wanted what every child wants."

Bowser followed his gaze. "What, to be trapped in the arms of a hostile nutcase? What were you thinking, letting that kid touch my son? You know how violent he can be, what if he lashed out again when he saw Ludwig? What then?"

"You are speaking in the hypothetical."

"Kamek, I don't need to, you were _there_. You watched it happen. He's just too dangerous right now, you've seen what he's capable of-"

"Yes, I have." So unexpectedly curt was Kamek's response that Bowser choked on his own words. "But you sir, are as short-sighted as ever, it would seem." Bowser fumed, but did not want to risk proving Kamek's point, and instead remained silent, permitting him to elaborate. But he did not. Rather, he was quiet for a few moments, but before Bowser could grow sufficiently surly, he broke the silence with a sigh. "Do you still not understand? Were you not listening? I have told you I was unable to quiet him, and yet he sits there silent in your arms. How do you suppose that happened?"

Bowser froze, and the realization hit him like a blow to the head. "I-he…it was…how did Iggy-?" He flushed in embarrassment and his stomach churned in remorse. He had left the room in such a state, Bowser had been genuinely frightened by his unpredictability, and yet, his infamously difficult son had seemingly taken to him. _Undeniably unpredictable indeed, he just couldn't wrap his head around it._ He looked over to where Iggy and Lemmy were conversing with one another, as if nothing had ever occurred. Lemmy practically bounced with energy, and Iggy laughed jubilantly, clapping at his brother's hyperactive antics.

 _He's one of us, okay?_

"Appears you have only that 'nutcase' to thank for your sanity." Kamek chuckled, but it only made Bowser feel worse, upon hearing his words reiterated back to him. Iggy likely didn't understand any more than the rest of them did, and at the end of the day, he was a child, and a child who needed help. He was the adult, and though the unknown was still a frightening adversary to confront, it was his responsibility not to lash out at what he could not understand.

He felt Kamek's hand settle upon his arm, and his expression was one of understanding. "My boy, do not think too badly of yourself, you are new to this. Parents deal almost exclusively in the realm of the hypothetical."

Bowser snorted at that. He knew it all too well, having begun this entire escapade with wild speculative scenarios following what had been, in hindsight, a minor irregularity in his gut.

"Your worries are not entirely unfounded," Kamek continued, "but he truly is a bright little boy. I assure you, I _have_ seen what he is capable of, and if he can learn to control his temper, well…I can only imagine the great works he will be capable of then." He smiled fondly as he mused for a few moments, then returned to himself, adjusting his glasses. "But enough about the future. I understand there is another that is in need of me at present, yes?"

Bowser lead Kamek over to where Ludwig, who, despite his limited sight and dexterity, had since appointed himself to watch over the toddler who Lemmy had forgotten in his trepidation, still clutching the limp old bag of vegetables Bowser had given him. Kamek was far from impressed by the sight, and looked as though he would have smacked Bowser upside the head had he not been carrying Junior.

"Was this really the best you could do?" he deadpanned. Surprisingly, Ludwig answered first.

"It's a bit of a long story." His smile was apologetic and tense, and he said nothing more. Kamek narrowed his eyes, but wordlessly outstretched his hand.

"I see. Would you come with me please? We won't be very long."

"Where are you going? Why are you taking him outside?" Bowser asked as the two began to depart.

"I should like to speak to him as well. One cannot make a fair assessment of a situation without hearing both sides." Ludwig and Bowser simultaneously groaned, and Kamek eyed them both dubiously. "…It appears as though you have already had this conversation then? Very well. I promise to be brief."

He sent Ludwig off ahead towards the door before turning to face Bowser, a wide smirk pasted across his face. "I see you have actually done as I asked you to do."

"Don't get used to it."

"I don't plan to. I think I'm finally beginning to trust your judgement."

"Get lost, will you? I'm not a kid anymore, you don't need to babysit."

"I know," Kamek wheezed. "Now it's your job." Amused with himself, he cackled all the way to the door, letting out a hearty cough once he had finally expended himself. _Wrinkled old fart._ Bowser huffed and turned to the toddler he was supposedly 'babysitting' and found him gone. _Off to a great start._ Evidently, while he and Kamek were speaking with one another, the child had noticed Ludwig walking towards the exit, and, having no one else to keep him occupied, he followed him.

When he began causing problems, Ludwig attempted to reason with him. "I'll be back soon, alright? There's no need to fuss." The toddler, however, had purportedly grown tired of being ignored and passed from person to person, and stood his ground, clinging to Ludwig, refusing to be pushed aside yet again. Even Kamek, for all of his wisdom, logic, and experience, proved to be no match for him. Ludwig tried to make his way through the door anyway, and the child began to tug on him to prevent him from leaving. Kamek sought to talk him down, but it was no use, he had already made up his mind.

When Ludwig's one arm proved not enough to keep him at bay, he finally tried his hand at pulling his far arm inward, and succeeded in knocking the makeshift icepack out of Ludwig's grip. Ludwig immediately stiffened, but wasted no time using his now free hand to his advantage. He sharply plucked the kid off of him and set him down an arm's length away, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Get _off_ of me, Larry." He spoke firmly, but Bowser could detect the hint of panic in his voice at having lost his makeshift mask, at having been exposed by the one person he wanted least to see him in such a state. Bowser recalled Ludwig's desperation in the infirmary. It was no less ridiculous, but at least now he could put a name with a face.

Larry, meanwhile, presumably got the message, and didn't make a motion to follow as Kamek and Ludwig left the room. He looked around the room briefly, but ultimately plopped down where he stood in front of the door. It was a bit of a pitiful sight, but no one else seemed to pay him any mind. _Was this the status quo?_ Larry seemed genuinely at a loss of what to do with himself in Ludwig's absence, and though he was the youngest of their group, he continued to sit alone, likely awaiting his brother's return.

Before he knew it, his legs were moving, only half-aware of his words and actions, as everything took a backseat to his sudden overwhelming desire to console this child who had been abandoned many times by many people, himself included. He just had to take care of something first. Stopping in front of the frozen forms of Iggy and Lemmy, who clearly weren't expecting him to initiate a conversation with them so soon, Bowser cleared his throat. Lemmy stepped forward in front of Iggy, as if to shield him, but Iggy groaned with muted indignation, and stepped around him and settled by his side, arms crossed.

He eyed Bowser with a strange mixture of caution and temerity. "What do you want?"

Bowser and Lemmy were taken aback at his forward approach, and Lemmy shot him a mortified glare before sheepishly turning to Bowser. "So sorry about that, Iggy's never really had much of a filter-"

"Pretty bold tone for a kid less than half my size." Bowser couldn't stop himself, and cringed as the self-awareness set in. _Pretty bold observation for a guy holding a baby._

Iggy narrowed his eyes and shortly after, the distance between them. "You don't scare me." Lemmy looked on in horror, but Bowser only laughed. Iggy looked up angrily, expecting an ugly sneer of contempt only to be met with warm, if slightly self-conscious smile.

"I hoped not. Though, you sure scared the hell out of _me_ back there." He readjusted Junior in such a way that he regained the use of an arm, using it to squeeze Iggy's shoulder. "But I don't think that's what either of us intended, right?"

Flinching at the contact, Iggy's mouth hung open slightly, staring at his shoulder in disbelief, then back up at Bowser, scrutinizing him for any potential signs of deception. Then, when he appeared somewhat satisfied, he placed one wary hand on top of Bowser's, in a move that prevented him from extending his affections, yet also prevented him from pulling away entirely. It was in this awkward, middle-ground position that Bowser saw Iggy as he truly was, absolutely stuck. There was no question about it, he was too tentative to be trusting, but too rash to be reserved.

Bowser didn't know whether he was making things better or worse, but as he held Iggy from a distance, he felt his breathing speed up, and the guilt crept in again. He had spent so much of his time casting his judgement upon a child who looked as though he had been victimized far more often than he was willing to let on, if not by these children, then… _Maybe it was all he knew._ He looked at Lemmy, absentmindedly rubbing what was likely a sore spot on his arm, and his sympathy became a touch diluted. _Doesn't mean he can continue on like this. He promised Lemmy…but…_

Lemmy was also right. Iggy needed him too.

Bowser softened. "It's going to be okay, alright? I promise." Though he meant well, he seemed to have overstepped into territory in which Iggy was no longer comfortable, as he would no longer make eye contact with him, and gently brushed his hand away. That was alright with Bowser, so long as he was able to at least make the sentiment known. Mumbling a nonsensical apology, Iggy fiddled with his glasses nervously, uncomfortable with the attention he was being given all of a sudden. _Now where had he seen that before?_ Bowser smiled to himself. _For people with such a disdain for one another, Iggy and Ludwig shared quite a few of the same traits._

Respectfully, Bowser removed himself to give him some space, opting instead for a more… _familiar_ approach. "No worries, just do me a favor, okay? I know Ludwig isn't the… _easiest_ person to talk to…but you know you can't just beat the crap out of people who make you angry."

Iggy exchanged looks with Lemmy before a mischievous grin immediately grew on his face. "Of course not, that's what Roy's for." He and Lemmy then began to cackle like madmen, as though it was the funniest joke they had ever heard. Bowser on the other hand, remained silent, not sure whether to be confused or concerned. Lemmy caught his eye and snorted.

"Inside joke. He's only kidding." _Both it was, then. No wonder they got along so well._ Both Iggy and Lemmy seemed to be equally skilled at deflection, so they made a game of batting around a topic between themselves until some unwitting third party ended up getting beaned in the face.

Bowser tried again. "I'm serious, Iggy." This time, Iggy sobered and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"I know, and I'm sorry, really. I am. I shouldn't have punched him. And what's more, I'm sorry you got stuck with him for an entire hour. But I honestly didn't expect Mr. Know-It-All to smash my face in, so I guess we're all paying for my lapse in judgement."

Bowser eyed him incredulously at that gross understatement, as he recalled the situation to have been rooted far deeper than a mere "lapse in judgement", but ultimately he decided to let it slide for now, as another question occurred to him.

"How did you know that Ludwig went with me?"

Iggy shrugged. "Kamek healed me up, and I got Ludwig pretty good. I figured someone had to help him out, and Lemmy filled in the rest." He snickered, "I didn't exactly get to admire my handiwork though, he had that damn _thing_ over it."

 _There was so much to unpack there._ Bowser couldn't stop the panic from surfacing, and Iggy immediately scowled. "Hey, look, if I could go back and stop myself I would..." His face fell, and he sighed shakily. "Please believe me, I would. I swear I never wanted to hurt him. I don't even really know why I did it-I…he just made me so _angry_ …"

"Did he say something to you?" He knew Ludwig was not one to hesitate to make his opinions known when sufficiently provoked, but Iggy shook his head sadly.

"With Ludwig, it's always what he doesn't say. But I always know what he thinks of me, of everyone else. How we're all just lowly peasants he can order around because his folks had greasy palms-" he began spitefully, before Bowser put a stop to his pointed words.

"And where are they now?"

Iggy's words died on his lips, and he seemed to genuinely mull the thought over. His expression softened in resignation. In return, Bowser mitigated his own expression. He supposed he hadn't been entirely inaccurate in his assumptions knowing now what he did about Ludwig, and they had very clearly affected him severely. Bending down again, he leveled with Iggy.

"Ludwig says a lot without really saying anything at all. Not sure how he does it, but once you navigate your way through all the jargon, I promise you, he doesn't feel that way."

Iggy didn't seem to buy it. "You don't know that…"

Bowser chuckled to hide his hesitation, choosing his words carefully out of respect for the promise he made to Ludwig.

"It was a pretty productive hour."

Iggy stifled a laugh despite himself. Though muted, it was raucous enough to cause Junior to stir in his arms, and suddenly, Bowser remembered why it was he had approached them. He motioned for Lemmy to draw closer, but kept his attentions on Iggy.

"Can you do something for me?" Iggy raised his eyebrows, but nodded. Bowser began to slowly transfer his son to Iggy, much to his surprise. "Can you hold him for me? I gotta go do something really quick." Iggy looked stunned, having no time to protest before Junior was returned to his arms. All three held their breath and waited for all hell to break loose, but were surprised to find that at this point in the evening, Bowser Junior was unfazed by the movement, seemingly more interested in the barrage of new faces he was met with as he was passed from perspective to perspective. _This was rare, a good omen indeed._

"Wha-" Iggy couldn't even finish the thought. Lemmy seemed to get a kick out of it, and sidled up to him to get a better view. Iggy looked up at Bowser, his confusion matched by a glimmer of panic in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

Bowser winked as he walked towards the downtrodden toddler by the door. "I trust you," throwing over his shoulder, "besides, he likes you better anyway." He didn't look back, but he could feel Lemmy beaming at him, and the warmth returned again, more aggressively than before.

Encouraged, he turned his attentions back to Larry, who had since curled up against the wall and buried the bottom half of his face in his tiny folded arms. Bowser approached him carefully, as not to frighten him, but Larry didn't seem to take notice of him at all until he took a seat next to him, leaning heavily on the wall at his back.

"Mind if I sit here?" he began gently.

With a squeak of surprise, Larry immediately unfolded himself, falling sideways in awe at the sheer size of this faintly familiar stranger, and as he looked up at Bowser, his eyes shined with unnoticed tears.

"Hey, it's okay little guy…please don't cry. Ludwig'll be back soon."

But as the tears continued to fall, Bowser knew that wasn't the source of his distress. Though he was too small to fully understand what was happening, he was old enough to read the room, empathetic enough to mirror the fear, frustration, and confusion of his older siblings, and aware enough to be discouraged at their continued dismissal. And as he proceeded to ignore Bowser's attempt to console him, Ludwig's apparent abandonment seemed to push him to finally accept the solitude. Bowser, only somewhat familiar with the logic of very young children, wondered if only Ludwig's return would set him right again, but when Larry sniffed quietly, as though he were making a deliberate effort not to disturb the others, he decided he couldn't wait that long.

He reached out and softly patted the top of Larry's head, prompting him to again turn his glistening eyes upward. Bowser gave him a bright smile, only slightly tarnished by his own exhaustion. "Sorry I kept you waiting, kid. But I've been looking for you everywhere,"

Larry's eyes widened and flashed in dim recognition. He inched forward and cocked his head in curiosity.

"I'm glad I found you, Larry. You and the others…" He moved to pull his hand away so that he could reorient himself, but Larry reached up and held fast, evidently afraid he was attempting to perpetuate the cycle of neglect.

"Stay." Larry spoke in a quavering tone that was equally demanding and desperate as it was inaudible. All the same, Bowser caught it, albeit barely, and let his instincts do the rest. Allowing himself a small chuckle at the toddler's cadence, he slid his hand down to cup one side of Larry's face, and extended his other arm outward in a show of reassurance.

"C'mere, squirt."

Larry didn't hesitate, stumbling into Bowser's open arms before he missed his chance, and any uneasiness he may have felt at being approached by a foreigner evaporated in the warmth of the unexpected affection. Bowser lifted him off of the ground, and the muscle memory he had accumulated over the course of the evening guided his arms to situate Larry against his shoulder, and much like his older brother, tiny arms reciprocated the gesture to the best of his ability. However, what he had assumed to be sentiment, he quickly, and somewhat painfully, found to be Larry's way of asserting his claim of ownership to the others as he clutched Bowser tightly, arms spread wide defensively.

"Let go, Larry. You're hurting me."

Larry's eyes shined in terrified defiance, the last time he let go of someone, they hadn't come back. He buried his head into his chest and clung on even tighter. _Really, he should have known that he wouldn't comply, he was a toddler after all._ He may be out of his area of expertise, but he knew enough to formulate a plan of action from whatever skills he had amassed over the last few months. _He's just like Junior…but bigger…? Yeah._ He smiled. He may be running on exhaust fumes, but he could handle this. He moved against the wall, letting the tension drain out of him as he gently swayed to a familiar rhythm.

"I've got you, okay? You can let go…I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I'm right here…I got you." He continued to whisper softly, and gradually, Larry's grip eased, and when Bowser no longer felt it, he realized that he had accidentally dozed off, exhaustion finally getting the better of him.

Bowser grinned. Experientially, his greatest victories were often coupled with the greatest costs. He had successfully put an end to his father's tyranny, and liberated the kingdom from his psychopathy, and yet, what had been left to him? A broken and barren land, reaped of many innocents, suddenly thrust into the incapable hands of an untrained and inexperienced delinquent who left much to be desired…He convinced himself he was proud of this triumph, if for no other reason than the weight that it carried, but as Larry slept peacefully in his arms, he admitted to himself that he would not have believed anyone if they told him he would soon come to value one greater.

"Careful. He's real clingy."

Bowser blinked, and Roy chuckled. He had since put Morton down, but still held his hand as the two approached. Looking over behind them, he noticed Wendy had similarly found a spot to curl up for the time being and unceremoniously pass out. He had wanted to visit with her further, but he envied her all the same.

"Ludwig walks out for five minutes and he's already lost his 'favorite' status; he'll be thrilled." Roy drawled, and Morton snickered quietly behind him. Roy turned to him and shot him a mischievous grin as he nudged him with an elbow. "I'll always be your favorite, right?"

Morton fidgeted as Bowser looked on, and shrank even further behind his larger brother.

"…c'mon Roy…" he mumbled, but trailed off, leaving the thought incomplete.

Bowser couldn't hide his disbelief. "Favorite, huh? How'd that happen?" _Ludwig didn't seem to possess the patience for his antics earlier…_ Roy violently snorted, and Bowser winced, he hadn't meant to sound so harsh. _Might as well have opened Pandora's box._ However, Roy sobered quicker than he expected, and gave an indifferent shrug.

"Well, Ludwig's the one who found him, makes sense that he'd latch on to the first person he came across…no matter how unapproachable they turn out to be…" he muttered dispassionately. "Can't blame him for havin' terrible taste, he's only a kid."

"Where did he-"

"Can't say. Don't really care either, but surely nowhere good. He's here now, which is all that matters." Roy looked as though he knew more than he let on, but wasn't giving an inch. Bowser looked at Morton to see if he would inadvertently convey any information through his reaction, but he looked as lost as Bowser felt. He tried to take a step back, but clung to Roy expecting him to do the same, and nearly losing his balance when Roy did not budge.

Bowser looked at him ruefully, turning his attentions back to Roy. "He's a shy little fella, ain't he?" Roy grinned and tried to gently pull Morton out from behind him, with only partial success. When he refused to move any further than beside him, Roy patted him on the back as a makeshift peace offering.

"Nah, Morty's a riot, really. He just gets this way around…strangers…" Bowser and Roy locked eyes as the subtext set in, then just as quickly, the two snapped their focus back to Morton, who had his arms crossed, but nevertheless looked as though he would crawl under the bed given the opportunity.

"Mor _ton_." He stressed to Roy, firmly, yet still quietly airing his peculiar grievance.

Roy laughed, a hint of nervousness infiltrating what had already been a rather awkward exchange. "Yeah yeah yeah, Mor _ton_ , got it." He turned to Bowser as though he were in on the joke, which only confused him further. "Forgot he's a man now. I guess I felt that way too when I was the ripe old age of…what are you, five?" he teased. Morton huffed, but remained silent.

Bowser chuckled, but the silence persisted. He was appreciative of the conversation, as he would take any chance he got to learn more about the children he had left behind, but as it continued, he realized that Roy had not said one word about himself, opting instead to shift the conversation to either Morton or one of the others. He initially thought nothing of it, but the nonchalance with which he seemed to gloss over certain topics was disconcerting, and ultimately made him wonder if Wendy had merely adopted her mechanical mannerisms from the one who had set the framework in place.

"You sure you're not the oldest?" Bowser joked. If this kid was his mirror, he figured he would likely respond as briefly and flippantly as possible, careful not to give out too much information that would be necessary should someone be actually interested in reaching out to him and _Damn it they were so frustratingly similar-_

"Why, 'cause I'm the biggest?" Roy responded accordingly, without deviation.

Bowser's heart sank. _He wanted to help but didn't know how. How was he supposed to beat himself?_ But luckily for him, Morton decided that he too wished to contribute to the conversation.

"Used to be. He told me so himse-"

" _Morton._ " Roy hissed, towering over Morton, who looked on the surface to have been quite sorry for speaking up at all, but Bowser noticed the sympathetic intent in his eyes.

Roy blinked and cleared his throat, adopting a more leisurely posture as he managed to just reign in his rage for the time being. He then tried to smooth over the cracks with a patronizing smile. "Sorry bout that. Morton forgot his 't' again."

"I'm not a moron…" Morton mumbled.

"Then stop _acting_ like one. Or were you too dense to understand the _first_ time we talked about this-"

"Roy, enough. Keep your voice down, or you'll wake Larry."

Roy quieted, but did not calm, and Bowser felt the heat radiating off of him as he fumed. Unfortunately, Bowser was never one to err on the side of caution.

"Do you always talk this way about your siblings?"

Roy leaned in dangerously close and Bowser feared that if not for Larry, he would have been subject to a third assault, however, Roy's clenched fists, tense as they were, never left his sides.

"Listen because I'm only gonna say this once. _Those_ guys-" he jabbed a finger in the direction of the others, "-are NOT my siblings, got it? _None_ of us are related by blood."

"I know, but I thought Ludwig said-"

"Ludwig may be the _oldest_ ," he spat, "…but that don't mean he speaks for all of us." And don't pay no mind to Morty either. He knows, he knows how much I care about him. And you can stop looking at me like I'm some heartless monster, alright? I'd fall on the sword for almost any of these guys, believe me, but all the sentimentality in the world wouldn't be enough for me to replace-Ugh, you know what? I'm just won't pretend to be something I'm not because…because…"

"That would mean they're really gone." Bowser finished softly, but firmly. Roy's glare pierced through his shades, but Bowser matched his anger with determination, and refused to back down. Perhaps this was Morton's true intent, he wondered, as he seemed to know more than he let on and yet withheld his observations until he was confident he had finally found a vessel to transmit his message who was physically strong enough to take the punishment when Roy inevitably lashed out physically.

Iggy and Lemmy's laughter rang in his ears. _That's what Roy's for._ Roy growled and started forward, but looked to Larry and hesitated. Bowser was stuck. He didn't want to put Larry down so that Roy could wale on him, but he didn't want Larry to be in his arms if or when Roy decided he didn't care. Thankfully, he was given a reprieve as Morton returned with Wendy, who he had presumably woken up for help. She filled the space between them, and though Bowser was worried for her, she didn't share in his anxiety. Sure enough, Roy backed off just enough to make it clear he had no intentions of harming her.

"Roy, are you nuts?"

"Stay _out_ of it, Wendy. Take the kid and leave me alone."

"Make me." Roy shoved her hard, and she fell to the ground. Bowser stood to assist her, but her controlled expression dared him to intervene. She turned to Roy, who had since approached her, with one arm in position to strike. If she felt intimidated, she made no indication.

"Hit me." She challenged him, and he faltered. In his moment of hesitation, Wendy acted quickly, snatching the shades clean off of his face and bounding a safe distance away with a swiftness only Lemmy could rival. Roy cried out in rage, but confusingly did not give chase, instead immediately covering his eyes with one arm while blindly swinging with the other. Finally, he gave up, and crumpled into himself as he plopped onto the floor, wiping away the tears of anger that had been previously hidden by plastic. _Why wasn't he moving?_

Handing off the glasses to Morton, Wendy moved to sit in front of him, and Bowser followed. Roy shifted in acknowledgement, but he continued to cover his face tightly with his arms.

"…why-?" he moaned, presumably to Wendy, who sighed in response. Her face contorted with guilt, revealing much about her own state beneath the forced equanimity, but it was gone as soon as she realized Bowser had taken notice.

"I…I didn't know what else to do. But you _promised_ , Roy…"

"That ribbon of yours on too tight? I never promised nothin-"

"Don't play dumb or it's going around your neck."

"You think you're so tough just 'cause I can't see. Once I get my glasses back, I'd like to see you try it."

"…Wait, he can't see?" Bowser interjected. Roy stiffened, then growled in frustration.

" _Wen-augh!_ No, you know what? Anyone else? Anyone else want to pick me apart? I'm an easy target now, so everyone come quick and get your licks in!"

"Roy, please, I meant nothing by it, I was only wondering-"

"Yeah? Well in my opinion, you wonder a little too much. You couldn't just leave good enough _alone_."

"Roy…you know neither of us can afford to anymore. And you have to believe me when I tell you that I _get_ it, I do. You don't have to talk about it right now if you don't want to but trust me, the longer you push it away, the worse it gets. It eats away at you until you're absolutely empty. But you have to learn that what hollows you out also makes room for a little fire, and _that's_ what keeps you going when you have nothing left to give."

Receiving several stares of ranged bewilderment, Bowser wondered if what he had said was even coherent, considering how tired he was, but when Roy sighed in resignation, he realized at the very least he had dampened his anger for the time being.

"Catch is, you gotta control it." He reached out with an arm and grabbed his shoulder. Roy tensed as he panicked, and Bowser withdrew sheepishly, as he had forgotten that Roy was unable to know or see who was touching him. "But you're not alone, okay kid? Remember that every time you drag yourself back to that black hole. You'd be surprised what can fill that empty void."

Roy rubbed his eyes, and only grunted in response as Wendy rammed into him, throwing her arms around his middle, taking care to avoid knocking his arms away from his eyes. After his initial alarm, he recognized her and slumped over in irritation, though it was clear his rage had been quelled.

"Sorry I took your glasses. But you need to stop scaring the crap out of me, you big dumb idiot. We're in this together, okay? You _promised_ …"

"…Give 'em back, you brat. My eyes hurt…a little…" He mumbled.

Wendy turned to Bowser before he could ask. "Not blind, he's just sensitive to the light is all." She beckoned to Morton, who complied, gingerly placing the glasses within her outstretched hand. Bowser looked them over closely, and found nothing more than a cheap pair of sunglasses so faded and worn they looked as though they had been fished out of the ocean.

"Do these even work? I mean, they don't exactly look-"

"It's the best I could do," Wendy cut him off coolly, "Whatever he was using before he didn't have on him when _I_ found him." She snickered to herself, "Had a great seeing-eye Morton though."

"Are you two finished making fun of me?" Roy snapped.

Wendy rolled her eyes and handed him his glasses. "What can I say? Your sense of humor must have rubbed off on me," She teased, then wrapped her arms around him once again. Roy slightly flushed at that, then quickly huffed and readjusted his glasses.

"Don't even try it. Just because my eyes are sensitive doesn't mean _I_ am, and if you think that I'm goin' soft all of a sudden, then your ribbon really _is_ on too tight." Wendy only laughed at his weak threat.

"That's because _you_ tied it this morning, fool."

Bowser smiled. _He'll figure it out someday. Hopefully it won't take him nearly as long as it took me._

Before Roy could sputter out an excuse, the door opened again, revealing Kamek and Ludwig, the latter of whom had been healed at long last. He looked around at the apparent emptiness of the room before recognizing the congregation right next to the door.

"Roy! Are you alright?" He moved to where Roy had pushed himself up. Roy's mouth twisted upward the slightest amount.

"Mind your own business."

Ludwig scoffed, but gazed at him thoughtfully. Kamek placed a hand on his arm and gestured to Iggy and Lemmy, who had since made their way over to the rest of the group. Bowser and the others looked on nervously as Ludwig and Iggy were finally forced to face one another by Kamek, who took Bowser Junior from Iggy's arms and gave them both a stern look. Iggy crossed his now free arms, and Ludwig did the same, settling in for a stalemate.

"Are you telling me that you are both prepared to stand here the entire night?" Kamek threatened, and Wendy moaned.

"Will y'all wrap this up already? I'm tired."

"Iggy…?" Lemmy tried his hand as well, but Iggy refused to make eye contact with anyone. _Oh for crying out loud-_

"Ludwig." Bowser stated, indirectly ordering him to initiate so he could get this over and done with so that he could _sleep_ at last. He whirled around and attempted to argue, but Bowser didn't even have to open his mouth to win, instead letting his irate and exhausted expression do the talking for him. Ludwig sighed, then straightened.

"…Very well. I suppose I shall have to be the bigger person here-"

"Is that so? You look pretty short to me, what with your head so far up your-"

" _Ignatius!_ Give him your respect, at the very least!"

"And Ludwig, ease up on the sass. I know you two are desperate to have the last word, but don't bother. It is, and will always be _mine_ , and right now, I say that you both are the absolute worst. Get this done now or so help me, I'll come over there and knock your heads together myself."

Begrudgingly, Ludwig continued. "I…apologize for my behavior, I should have known better than to retaliate so violently. I don't…know what came over me."

"Damn liar," Iggy held up his hands to signify he wasn't finished. "…felt good to finally get back at me, huh?" He chuckled humorlessly and Ludwig reciprocated.

"I'll admit, there are worse feelings…regret in particular comes to mind…But I'm glad you're alright Iggy, please believe that I was quite worried."

"Well, because you asked so _nicely_ …" His words were cut down by a glare from Kamek. "Fine, I'm sorry too, alright? I shouldn't have been looking for trouble to satiate my boredom."

" _Boredom?_ That cannot be right. Or has it never occurred to you to perhaps, oh, I don't know, pursue a different, less violent pastime?"

"Oh, like what? Playing the piano? Well I apologize, but I never could quite manage to get my grubby hands on one. In any case, it's for the best. A lowly and violent brute such as myself has no need for sophistication, after all, I did wake up this morning thinking to myself 'Boy, I'd sure love to smash in some skulls today for absolutely no reason'."

"Then what _is_ the reason, Iggy? I don't understand what compels you."

"You wouldn't. I don't blame you," He sighed in resignation, adding under his breath, "I don't entirely myself."

"Iggy…I _want_ to understand."

"…I don't care what you want. You got your apology, you're not squeezing any more out of me than that."

"…Very well then. But this conversation is not over."

Iggy scoffed, then turned to Kamek, slinging a sarcastic "How'd I do?" his way. Kamek, exhausted himself, rolled his eyes and responded with a half-hearted "We'll work on it." Ludwig seemed to be deep in thought before a yawn overtook him. Bowser was content to have made it through the evening in one piece, and too tired to do much else, dragged himself over to the center of the room and ungracefully plopped down, Larry still in his arms. He stirred at the movement but was shortly after still. The others took after him, following him and, unsure of what else to do, sat with him.

They all spoke idly for a bit, with Bowser promising to look into the possibility of giving them separate rooms if for no other reason than to potentially quell any further nights like these in which they were compelled to annoy each other until the point of no return. Sure, he might need to rearrange a few things, but the silence was worth it. He looked upon the children, the older of which were silently rejoicing in relief. They smiled as brightly as they could manage, and Bowser corrected himself. The _peace_ was worth it. No longer would he be content to have them destroy themselves quietly so that he could selfishly pretend that things were better than they actually were.

He winced in disgust. His father would have been. He had tried so desperately to wholly distance himself from him, and yet…in retrospect, he had become the very thing he had declared so boldly he would never be as he dealt the definitive blow…but that hadn't been the end, had it?

Kamek, though exhausted, was far more perceptive than the now drowsy children, and sat down next to him on the floor. He griped a bit about his posture before removing an arm from around Junior so that he could place it as high up on Bowser's arm as he could reach. And for a moment, everything else disappeared.

 _"_ _All will be well again, I promise you." He had said, holding him tightly as Bowser collapsed, a weeping mess on the floor. Bowser looked upon the aftermath of his own actions from a distance in repulsion, since frantically removing himself as far away from what remained of his father as possible._

 _"_ _What have I done? Kamek…" He hadn't finished the sentence, choking on his own words as another wave of panicked horror overtook him._

 _"_ _The only thing you could have done." Bowser let out a cry of anguish and sank even further into his own misery. Kamek hushed him and clasped Bowser's hands in his own. "My son, you must rise." He began gently, but Bowser paid him no mind. "I know what I ask of you is great, but know that I see such greatness in you that your father could never hope to match. You are the king now. Use what you have learned today to set a course for the future. With you at the helm, there is hope once more."_

 _Bowser's breathing had evened out, and he rubbed his eyes. He sighed heavily. "I'm not ready, Kamek. I'm not-"_

 _"_ _No one ever is. Life never follows the patterns you expect it to. But it will be alright, we will manage together, as we always have."_

 _"…_ _Together?"_

 _Kamek laughed and smiled fondly. "Of course. In any case, I've got nothing better to do." Bowser scoffed, but laughed all the same, wiping away what remained of his tears. Kamek's eyes lit up in triumph, as they had without fail each time he was successful in generating amusement from him._

 _"_ _Now let us go. They are waiting for you."_

Larry shifted in his arms and the memory faded away. Bowser patted the top of his head a few times and glanced affectionately at the pile of sleeping children before him. _Thank you for being patient with me._ He looked to Kamek, who eyed him knowingly. Junior, he noticed, had finally fallen asleep as well, presumably because all of his would-be entertainers collapsed themselves not too long ago. Bowser reached out for him with his other arm, and Kamek raised an eyebrow.

"Are we switching children, or-?" he whispered, and Bowser snorted.

"No, I'd just like to hold my son, if it isn't too much to ask." Kamek hesitated, and Bowser sighed. "I'm going to get good at this, hear me?" Kamek rolled his eyes, but nevertheless deposited the child in his free arm.

"Do you still require my assistance?" Kamek stood, and brushed himself off, as though he were preparing to leave.

"No. I've got this." He smiled semi-confidently, and Kamek, of course, saw right through him. However, with one look at the comatose children, he let it go, probably deciding that nothing else could possibly happen so long as Bowser kept his voice down. He gave a curt bow, then moved to leave.

"Wait." Bowser hissed, and Kamek turned back to him in confusion.

"Something wrong?"

"Stay. You belong here too." Kamek's jaw hung open slightly, and it amused Bowser to no end that he seemed to finally be at a loss for words.

"What, did you think I only kept you around so you could do the dishes?" Kamek smiled warmly, and softly chuckled.

"Why, I do believe that is the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Hey, come on, I promise I've changed. You never give me enough credit for that." He protested, and Kamek held up his hands to placate him.

"You have, I know you have. You've come a long way this evening alone." Bowser grinned tiredly, exhaustion setting in as the tranquility of the room allowed him to relax at last.

He mulled over Kamek's words as he reflected on the night. All things considered, he hadn't done too terribly for his first time, and at this point, 'good enough' might as well have been the pinnacle of his achievements. Though, when it came down to it, he figured much of the unfamiliar stemmed from his own indecision. He had failed to come to much of a conclusion about anything, much less about what to do with these children he had grown so fond of. He sighed deeply, and as he settled into the stillness, he wondered if it was selfish of him to wish this moment could last forever. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this content just to even be breathing, and as he looked upon the children fondly, he dimly realized that he hadn't really understood what Ludwig had been trying to tell him until now. That they had done the impossible, they all made something out of absolutely nothing by sheer conviction alone, and there was something truly promising in that sentiment. Bowser himself had made countless promises tonight to everyone, and though he was on the verge of a coma as well, he had every intention of fulfilling them. Then, he could only think of one way he would be able to be held accountable for upholding them, no matter what. And he had made up his mind, truly, at long last.

Junior unconsciously stretched himself out, inadvertently kicking the other occupant in Bowser's arms, and Larry jolted awake, confused at the presence of the stranger. Bowser couldn't help himself, and snickered as Larry scowled in irritation. He shifted himself and attempted to retaliate, but Bowser only held him tighter until he gave up, huffing in defeat.

"Hey," Bowser lightly scolded. _Even the toddler's trying to brawl._ The pang of sorrow he felt hardened his resolve. He leaned in closely, and his expression softened with affection as he looked upon Junior. Larry followed his gaze, but did not share his fondness, instead perplexed by this new face.

"Go easy on your brother, okay? It was only an accident. He may _look_ like me, but he ain't nearly as tough yet, trust me."

Larry, disoriented and tired, took his statement at face-value, and though he was certainly confused, he seemed like he was in no state to argue, and instead slumped back into Bowser's shoulder, passing out for good. Kamek, on the other hand, jolted straight up. His face held no discernable emotion, but he appeared rather shaken by the declaration Bowser had just made.

"Do you mean what you say?"

"Well…" He winced as Kamek looked as though he were two children away from murder. He stood up and moved dangerously close, the anger building. Bowser scrambled to explain himself. "No no no, Kamek, listen, I want this, I do, but…do they? I-I want to ease the pain, but I can't just eliminate the source, y'know? Because if I just sit here and blot it out, pretend they were always mine, well, I've just eliminated everything that came before, and I can't. I just can't, not in good conscience…"

Kamek calmed, humming thoughtfully. "…I understand. It seems as though they have taken to you rather quickly, but the reason is yet to be determined, I suppose."

Bowser sighed. "Maybe I should just pretend I never said anything. I doubt Larry'll remember tomorrow-"

"Have you forgotten your sentiment so quickly?" Kamek softened his tone and placed his hand on one of Bowser's arms. "You know better than anyone how little DNA has to do with it."

"Everyone except you." Kamek turned bright red, and his mouth slowly curved into a blissful smile. He moved to Bowser, careful not to disturb the sleeping children, and just barely managed to run a tender hand through the hair of his own.

"Yes. Except me." He chuckled, then removed himself so as not to make Bowser's balancing act more difficult than it needed to be. He returned to his side, leaning heavily on it. "What will you do, then?"

Bowser shrugged. "Well, when all else fails…" he nudged him lightly, "…go to what you know, and set a course accordingly. I'm just fine to be a father to this band of hooligans without being "Dad". I just want them to know that they aren't alone anymore."

Kamek squeezed his shoulder. "All you can do is your best. Perhaps they'll accept you, perhaps not, but regardless, I am proud of you, my son. Have patience and faith, and all will be well."

"All _is_ well, you old bag. You just worry too much to notice."

Kamek moaned dramatically. "Oh, it was so nice while it lasted…" He yawned. "I am definitely too old to be up at this hour…" Bowser smirked.

"Sleep then."

"Perhaps I should wait, I must take the young master back to his room-"

"He's fine where he is. And you're fine where you are. Actually, if you want to take him, fine, my arms are killing me anyways, but you're staying right here. Tomorrow's going to be a hell of a day, I can feel it, but right now, just having everyone together in one place makes the place feel a little less broken down, y'know? So stay, please?"

Kamek nodded and took Bowser Junior from him, settling into a nearby chair, not before half-heartedly grumbling no doubt about his age and other things too low for Bowser to catch. But before he could comment, Kamek blindsided him.

"I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into."

"…I don't."

"…I didn't either." He smiled fondly. "I never knew what to expect. You were quite a handful."

"But we made it out okay, didn't we?"

"…I suppose we did…"

They said no more, and soon, Bowser could hear Kamek softly snoring, and he alone remained awake, albeit barely. The room was warm and serene, but Bowser, tired as he was, didn't want to let it go just yet. The days of yesterday were filled with sadness, pain, turmoil, the days of tomorrow were hopeful, yet stressful and unknown, but in this moment at present, everything was the way it was meant to be. In this moment, surrounded by children- _his_ children, if they would have him, his mind raced with ways in which he could begin to rebuild the broken parts of the legacy left to him by his father. Maybe then they would trust him to rebuild the broken parts of theirs, too. As he drifted off at last, he smiled. _It would all work out. Everything's going to be okay._ And for the first time, he believed it. He couldn't say how or why, but as all of his knots blissfully untangled, he felt it in his gut. He just… _knew._

 **Once again, I would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who have followed this from the beginning. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting this much support for a story that I thought wouldn't be more than two chapters, but you all have inspired me to keep going with it and I thank you for that. I had a lot of fun writing it in any case, but I always looked forward to reading your comments and receiving your feedback, as it never failed to put a smile on my face. Though this behemoth is ultimately finished, I hope y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. :)**


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